The quest for a Regional House of Chiefs to reestablish peace and stability in the newly created Savannah Region has hit a major setback following the collapse of a five-member mediation committee formed to settle multiple chieftaincy disputes in the Gonjaland.
Feuding factions are questioning the qualifications of some members of the panel and have since rejected invitations by the committee for mediation talks.
The committee was outdoored at Salaga on the 13th of April, at the instance of the Gonja overlord, Yagbonwura Tutumba Sulemana Boresah I whose administration has been plagued with numerous chietaincy succession problems which regional authorities have publicly acknowledged present a real threat to essential progress of the new region.
The overlord of Buipe Traditional Area, and vice president of the Gonjaland Traditional Council (GLTC), Buipewura Mahama Abdulai Jinapor II, was named the chairman of this peace committee, with Paramount chiefs of Kpembe, Kusawgu, Tuluwe and Kong, to make the complete panel.
Chieftaincy violence and unrest in at least six paramouncies have created persistent instability in the entire Gonja Kingdom.
Competing claims by royal gates in Bole, Damongo, Kafaba, Kulor, Kebelma, Mandari, Sonyor, Makango, Daboya, kilibur, and Korsorgu, have descended into chaos and armed conflicts.
Interventions by the Yagbonwura to settle disputes at paramountcy levels have rather led to parallel authorities and created cold relationship between the King’s palace (Ndewura Jakpa Palace) and local kingmakers in these areas.
Most of the interventions have been challenged with multiple lawsuits, protests and petitions. In some cases, his rulings getting overturned either in courtrooms or by Judicial Panels of the House of Chiefs.
With a timeline of 60 Days, the committee’s top mandate was to use dialogue approach to work out optimal resolutions to end all the chieftaincy disputes.
But, more than a month after its fancy and disorganized inauguration, StarrNews can report a total collapse of the mediation effort.
Starr News has intercepted letters addressed to the committee by chieftaincy factions in Bole and Damongo who have turned down invitations to appear for audience.
The letters detailed several shocking reasons for their decisions, including some accusations that went directly to attack judgemental senses of some members of the committee.
In the Damongo Chieftaincy dispute, three factions – The Kuntunkure Gate, Ngbaripe Gate and Dangepe Family -wrote the joint letter announcing their refusal to honour an invitation of the committee, saying they stand by their “long held positions and views such a meeting would not reach a sound consensus and intended result of fair, truthful and non- bias to the Damongo Chieftaincy duplication”.
“The said Committee formed comprise the Chiefs and Elders who were the persons that sat in the meetings with the Overlord and duplicated the Chieftaincy skins in the disputed areas in most of the cases- The major decisions convening the nominations, selections and installations of the parallel Chiefs.”
“The Buipewura made the final pronouncements, hence by being part of the committee he is actually assuming the position of a judge in his own case. Buipewura supported the very decisions that plunged Damongo into chaos in recent times. Buipewura has also failed in two attempts to mediate both sides in the Damongo conflict into resolution applying a one sided approach of threats and wanting to uphold the Chief that was imposed by the Overlord on the otherwise peace loving people of Damongo at all cost.”
In the letter headlined, “Inability to attend the meeting called by the five eminent chiefs mediating the Damongo chieftaincy conflict, the factions described the committee as a “non-starter without any customary basis and having been created to “rubber stamped a pre- conceived agenda of championing a one sided gain to resolution.”
The Damongo Chietaincy dispute erupted, after the death of Damongowura Jakpa Lermu Lermu Tuntumba on 28th January, 2016.
Members of the Dangpe Gate had issues accepting a candidate to succeed the late paramount chief who had come from the Lermupe Gate of the rotation system in Damongo.
After a decision was arrived at by the Damongo kingmakers, confusion arose, and the Yagbonwura intervened, rejecting the appointment of the kingmakers and went ahead to nominate his favorite.
The decision by the Yagbonwura was endorsed by the Gonjaland Traditional Council, whose members formed part of this mediation committee.
Explaining further, the factions said the Kosawgurah, paramount chief of Korsogu, who constitute a member of the formed committee during the proceedings in Salaga introduced himself by words which suggested to them he could not be an impartial mediator.
“He made it clear and categorically that he wont take a decision contrary to what the Overlord believes in. In his own words: ‘It is not on my place to dispute what the Overlord has declared and I won’t do that'”,according to the factions, “By such outbursts Kosawguwurah has displayed bias. Besides he has on countless occasions brought in armed men into Damomgo with the view of intimidating the Chief that was enskined by the Kuntunkure Gate in Damongo”.
Picking on another member of the panel, the Damongo factions states, that “the Kongwurah, Chief of Kong Traditional Area, who is also part of the Committee formed, by custom is yet to justify his inclusion in the Gonja Traditional Council as he and his people are yet to pacify the deities and gods of the land for the past sins of the people of the area against the entire Gonjaland. The actions and inactions of the Kongwurah angers the ancestors and worsens the plight of Gonjaland as he could not decide on a case of this stature.”
“In view of the above reasons”, they say, “we wish to remind the committee of Eminent Chiefs and all in sundry that the matter of the dispute of the Damongo Chieftaincy affair is already pending before the Judicial Committee of the Northern House of Chiefs which has already started hearing the case”.
In a similar scenario that brought about the Bole chieftaincy dispute, where a curfew is currently imposed, a faction of the Safope Gate has also refused to appear before the committee.
In a letter dated, May 12, 2019, signed by Bolewura Safu Kutuge Feso I, the faction expressed “regret and disappointment at the contents” of the committee’s invitation letter and stated the letter was “in no way antidote to the Bole Chieftaincy issue”.
The Bole faction also questioned the authority of the committee to mediate the dispute, saying that, “no mandate was given to any five eminent Chiefs as a mediating committee by the entire Gonja Kingdom either by vote or popular acclamation” and that “all those with problems were not allowed to talk but that the committee would rather make a follow up for further consultation”.
Rehashing similar concerns of the Damongo factions, the Bole faction said: “The Bole Chieftaincy issue has gone over and above any committee that has the stamp and authority or the Gonja Traditional Council since the Gonja traditional council could not settle the issue that finally saw settlement with the Judicial Committee of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs in Tamale.”
“Having won the case in Tamale against the Yagbonwura and Nahariwura, it is only unreasonable that going back for mediation of the case by the Gonja Traditional council is an attempt to endorse the stand and position of the Yagbonwura.”
“As the Bolewura and Paramount Chief of the Bole Traditional area duly endorsed by tradition and custom and supported by the verdict of the of the Judicial committee of the Northern Regional house of Chiefs I do not need the approval of my fellow Paramount chiefs outside the custom and tradition to endorse me as the legitimate Chief of Bole. I wish to further add that I have almost 90% support across the Traditional area and the security forces and the BNI can attest to this fact. As a Paramount chief, those who qualified by custom and tradition to look into my case are the elders or ‘Bugbonpo’ not my fellow Paramount chiefs who by custom and traditions do not anyway qualify to judge a fellow Paramount Chief”, the faction responded in a stunning clapback.
The faction also addressed directly some members and actions of the mediation committee.
For instance, the faction expressed disappointment why the chief of Tinga, Tingawura Sampson Seidu Abudu, a man, they labeled as having “vested interest in the case”, was made to photocopy and distribute” letters to them.
In conclusion, Bolewura Safu Kutuge Feso I and his ruling faction cautioned the committee and the Gonjaland Traditional Council to stay out of the Bole chieftaincy dispute as any attempt to change the present situation will lead to “lawlessness and anarchy”
“I wish to state that there is total peace and stability in Bole Traditional area now and any attempt by any Committee to disturb the status quo would in its wake bring disturbances leading to lawlessness and anarchy. It should be pointed out that if the meeting is strictly by invitation, then certain people have already been targeted and this cannot guarantee peace. The Bole Traditional Area is currently an island of peace and tranquility and it is advised that it is better to let wounded sleeping dogs lie instead of taking through the wound that might lead to serious bleeding”.
Attempts to reach the committee’s chairman or any other member for comment have been unsuccessful.
But a response from the Gonjaland Traditional Council denied the committee has folded up and rendered completely ineffective.
Registrar of the Traditional Council, Abudu Kapori told Starr News the committee was still in function trying to carry out its mandates despite the unfortunate development.
He also said, without providing evidence, that the chieftancy factions in Bole and Damongo have written another letters apologising to the committee and that a new date would be fixed for hearings on the Bole and Damongo matters.
Starr News widespread checks could not confirm this assertion.
“Basically, the committee is making a progress. They met with Sonyor and have made tremendous progress with regards to the Sonyor issue: they have resolved to have a Sonyorwura. They are resitting again to finalise these issues regarding the Sonyor area – I think, the committee- they are doing well and I believe in the committee and I have the convictions that they will be able to address the chieftaincy issues in the Savannah Region or in Gonja Kingdom, so that all issues for the smooth take off of the Savanna Region”.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Eliasu Tanko/103.5FM
