Some elders of the Woligum divisional area in the Mirigu Traditional Area of the Kassena Nankana West District of the Upper East Region has petitioned the chief of Mirigu over the installation of one Albert Azuah Ayando, as the new divisional chief of Woligum.
In a petition to the president of the Upper Regional House of Chiefs, Chiana pio PE , PE Detundini Adiali Ayagitam III and cited by Word News alleged that the installation of Albert Azuah Ayando as the chief of Woligum divisional area by the paramount chief of the Mirigu Traditional Area, Naba Anonsona Anthony Abisa Atasige III was uncustomary and unlawful. Mr Albert Azuah Ayando, the petitioners claimed is not from the chieftaincy lineage of Woligum and no member of their family should be qualified to contest the skin. His name, the petitioners demand, should be expelled from the rightful four persons; Joseph Akan- enge Akanperige, Peter Akunzuo, Benjamin Akanwee and Albert Azuah Ayando shortlisted earlier in June 2023.
Led by Abasiyuure Achaa, the Woligum elders met the paramount chief and informed him that Mr. Albert Azuah Ayando family were not indigenous, to which members of Albert Azuah Ayando family conceded, but the paramount of Mirigu insisted that Mr Albert Azuah Ayando’s name must be included in the list.
“However, the Elders of the Woligum Community and a wide cross section of the Community members immediately objected to the name of Albert Azuah Ayando being included in the list of candidates to the Paramount Chief.
Indeed, his family was immediately invited to meet with the Elders of Woligum and at that meeting, the elders of his family conceded that their family was not indigenous to Woligum and as such no member of their family was qualified to be made a Chief of Woligum to lead the people of Woligum.
Unfortunately, the Paramount Chief insisted that the name of Albert Azuah Ayando must be included in the list of names/ candidates and presented to him for consideration as only he could determine who can or cannot be made Disivional Chief of Woligum. After the presentation of the list of names to the Paramount Chief, we the Elders of Woligum, approached the Paramount Chief to formally lodge the protest of the people of Woligum
Community to the inclusion of Albert Azuah Ayando among the candidates from Woligum, but again we were rebuffed by the Paramount Chief who however assured us that due consideration will be given to the complaint from the Woligum Community concerning the candidacy of Albert Azuah Ayando.”
when Word news contacted the paramount chief of Mirigu, Naba Anonsona Anthony Abisa Atasige III, he however denied the allegations level against him. He stated that no elder contacted him about the status of the installed chief and he as the president of the Mirigu Traditional Area institute a six member committee to supervise the installation process and no elder in the Woligum divisional area raised any issue regarding the installation of Albert Azuah Ayando as the divisional chief of Woligum.
“Nobody has ever sat with me to tell that ABC, because when I had the intention of enskining the divisional Chiefs within the Traditional Area, I did indicated and then I have to even put up a committee in place for almost four months to do a thorough job for me, you know some of the areas they cannot come to me direct, so if the committees are in place ,the committees are actually put in place to ensure that each and every member, citizen where we are going to enskin those chiefs must have a fair hearing for them to voice out whatever information that they have and the committee have worked tirelessly for four months, no single person have come to report to them that they have this kind of problem, they actually sat with the opinion leaders, the elders of the various areas and the youth groups”.
Mirigu Naba further indicated that now that they petitioned the president of the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs, he had no option, but to wait for a directive on how to manage the issue and challenged the elders to be ready to prove with more evidence on their claimed that Albert Azuah Ayando is Not an indigent of Woligum.
The elders of Woligum also pleaded with the president of the Upper Regional House of Chiefs to take steps to discontinue the exercise and investigate the concerns of the elders to prevent any future unrest.
“We entreat you to discontinue that exercise whiles our complaint is looked into by your august House to prevent the uncustomary aberration from being foisted upon the people of Woligum and indeed forestall the inevitable community unrest and possible physical confrontations that may arise as a consequence of this unfortunate conduct of our Paramount Chief”
Source: mywordfmonline.com/Gaspard Ayuureneeya