The overlord of the Kusaug Traditional Area, Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II has called on the Mamprusis in Bawku to accept the independence gained by the Kusasis in 1957 for peace to prevail in Bawku.
Speaking at the 36th edition of the annual Samanpid festival celebrated by the chiefs and people of the Kussaug Traditional area seek to honor their gods for a successful farming season.
The theme for this year’s Samampiid “Effective Conflict Resolution and Security Management for Kusaug Development the Role of all stakeholders” came at a time the nation is putting heads together towards finding a lasting peace in the area.
According to Zug-Ran, the independence gained was not reversible and thus advised the Mamprusis to accept the verdict of the ruling as the road map for peace to return to Bawku.
He added that the Manprusis in Bawku should accept a community chief under his paramountcy .
“It is high time all stakeholders told the Mamprusis in plain language that the Kusasis and Kusaug independence, like any independence, is irreversible! The Mamprusis, who constitute a very small proportion of the population of Kusaug need to appreciate that even the laws aside, a minority group cannot impose their rulership over an overwhelmingly unwilling majority group who own the land! I hope that Mamprusis are not living under any delusion that any government in power will impose them on Kusasis”
The revered Traditional ruler also noted that the Mamprusi-Kusasi Chieftaincy has been needless and it appears to be unending because of an apparent lack of resolute commitment to end it once and for all.
He added that Mamprusi traditional rulership in Bawku ended in 1957 through due process. Since then, no entity of competent jurisdiction ever turned down that ruling. The only challenge came in 2003 when the Mamprusis went to the Supreme Court seeking to depose the current Bawku Naba on the grounds that he did not hail from alleged qualified Mamprusi gate from Bawku, forgetting that Mamprusi rule had been terminated in 1957.
The Zug-Ran appealed to Nayiri to stop interfering in the Bawku conflict by enskinning a so-called Bawku Naba in Nalerigu, an act that has further worsen the conflict.
The Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon Stephen Asamoah Boateng in his speech noted that there is no Chieftaincy dispute in Bawku to be settled because the matter has been settled by the highest court of the land and that has also been the position of government.
“Let me repeat the position of government that ,there is no Chieftaincy dispute in Bawku to be settled, in deed This matter has been put to rest as Zug-Ran you rightly said by the highest court of land; the Supreme Court and the national and the regional houses of chiefs. so those who taught there is something to gain out of this, they should think again, this government and myself as the Vice President are the firm believers of the rule of law Zug-Ran this position has been articulated clearly to you by the president, the minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs and myself when I visited your palace recently”
Source: mywordfmonline.com/Gaspard Ayuureneeya