A group calling itself the Mamprugu Youth Association (MAYA), has expressed their displeasure towards the Akufo-Addo-led government for involvement in the Bawku chieftaincy issues describing it as unfair.
The group has passionately called on the government to be proficient, impartial and uniform in its handling of chieftaincy-related issues in the country.
According to them, the harmless call has become necessary because of government’s inconsistent and unhelpful interference in chieftaincy matters in the area.
Speaking to journalists in Accra on Monday, September 11, 2023, the spokesperson for the group, Dr. Musah Issahaku Yamba, said the chronicle of activities by the government in the ongoing Bawku conflict has rather emboldened some criminal elements to operate.
According to Dr. Yamba, the government’s statement 12 hours after Naayiri’s enskinment of the 15th Bawku Naaba as illegal alleging that Bawku already has a chief is a clear example.
“On Wednesday, February 15th, 2023, HRM the Nayiri exercised his traditional birthright as the sole lawful enskinning authority of the Bawku skin since its foundation in the 16th century by enskinning the 15th Bawku Naaba, Naa Sheriga Alhaji Seidu Abagre.
From the onset, it is significant to categorically state that the NAYIRI’s traditional authority of enskinment of chiefs in all territories under the Mamprugu kingdom is not inconsistent with any provisions of the 1992 Fourth Republican Constitution of Ghana or any other law under the power of the 1992 Constitution.
Strangely, the government of His Excellency, Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo decided to meddle in the Nayiri’s exercise of his traditional birthright traced to several centuries before the birth of present-day Ghana, our beloved country.
In particular, within 12 hours after the enskinment, the government issued a statement condemning the Nayiri’s enskinment and described this long-established customary process of enskinment of Bawku Naaba as illegal by alleging that Bawku already has a chief.
The government also added that the alleged so-called chief has been gazetted. The question is, who enskinned the so-called gazetted chief?”
Dr. Yamba, also asserted that, “As if this was not enough, the government swiftly followed this insulting statement with a bench warrant for the arrest of the Nayiri and his elders as well as the lawfully enskinned Bawku Naaba.
The government did not stop there. On the night of February 19th, 2023, soldiers entered Nalerigu at midnight in a brazen manner and attempted to effect the arrest of the King of Mamprugu and his lawfully enskinned Bawku Naaba.
Friends of the media, we would like the government to note that, the Overlord of Mamprugu Kingdom, the Nayiri, Naa Bohaga Mahami Abdulai Sheriga, who is the patient puff adder allows every part of his body to be trampled upon. But the day that one steps on its tail, all and sundry will run helter-skelter”.
The group further noted that “this action of the government was fiercely resisted by us, the gallant youth of Mamprugu. Security analysts as well as social commentators condemned the government’s actions and eventually, the arrest warrant was varied with the Nayiri and his elders expunged while that of the lawfully enskinned Bawku Naaba unlawfully remains. We wish to state that the body and the soul goes together until death do them apart. If the government upon reflection saw it fit to exclude the Nayiri and his Elders from the arrest warrant, so must that of the Bawku Naaba be rescinded, since he did not enskin himself.
Ladies and gentlemen of the press, as noted above the constitution of Ghana debars the government from meddling in chieftaincy matters.
The wisdom behind this is to make sure that the government has the trust and support of feuding factions in any dispute to enable it to act as a mediator when necessary.
The constitution also demands that the government in the discharge of its functions be neutral, unbiased, and always treat Ghanaians equally at any time and place.
Unfortunately, we regret to inform Ghanaians that the government of his excellency, Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo has at all material times acted in contravention of the above fundamental principles of our constitution.
We wish to unequivocally state that this government has at all times acted in bad faith and in a biased manner by unnecessarily singling out the Bawku chieftaincy conflict for meddling whilst turning a blind eye to similar events at other places across the country. Mr. President, what is good for the goose is equally good for the gander.
Is that not what the wise men say? It is the meddling by the government that has emboldened a faction in this conflict, that is the Kusasis, to continuously perpetuate acts that are detrimental to the peace of Bawku. That is the reality and Mr. President cannot absolve himself from that blame.
