The Paramount Chief of the Kpembe Traditional Area of Gonja Kpembewura Bismark Haruna Banbage has been charged to pay an amount of GH¢2,000 alongside two goats by the Gonja Traditional Council in the newly created Savanna region for the burning of the NPP office at Salaga.
The Kpembewura was also charged to renovate the destroyed office of the NPP and hand it over to the party to serve as deterrent to other Traditional rulers in the Gonja land.
The Gonja Traditional Council gave the ruling at their extraordinary meeting at Damongo on Thursday, February 21, 2019.
The meeting which was aimed at deliberating on the inauguration of the newly created Savanna region and the riots resulted to burning of the NPP office at Salaga in the West Gonja Municipality brought together Paramount Chiefs across the region, politicians, religious leaders and the security services.
Some irate youth of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Salaga on Tuesday set the party’s constituency office on fire minutes after President Nana Akufo-Addo named Damongo as the capital for the newly-created Savannah Region.
The youth also chased out the party’s constituency executives, who were seen running for dear life.
The youth had lobbied for Salaga to be made the capital of the new region rather than Damongo. They, thus, vented their spleen on the governing party’s office when their wish was not fulfilled.
Per the tradition of the Gonja Land, when there is any riot, the traditional ruler within that jurisdiction is responsible for the destructions and any damage it would caused.
The Gonja Traditional Council also decided on a visit to the Jubilee House to render an official apology to the President Nana Akufo-Addo for the misbehavior of some Salaga Youth after Damongo was named capital of the Savanna Region and the delegation is expected to include about a dozen prominent Chiefs from Gonjaland expected to be led by the National Chief Imam Sheik Nuhu Sherabutu into the Presidency.
Funding for the visit is to be provided by the Kpembewura as part of the punishment of the Gonjaland Traditional Council.
The Kpembewura at the meeting took full responsibility of the acrion or the youth as the Chief of the area and promised to pay all that has been charged.
Deliberating on how to inaugurate the newly created region, the Tulwewura suggested the formation of a seven member committee to help look into the inauguration process but a former northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mohammee Muniru Limuna asked for the expansion of the membership of the committee since the inauguration must be organised well.
He also asked for the inclusion of the three former Regional ministers namely Alhaji Gilbert Seidu Iddi, Alhaji Boniface Boniface Abubakari Sadik, other prominent people from Gonjaland like Dr Abu Sakara, all past and present DCE’s, former and current MPs in the Savanna area to help the in the work of committee.
The date for the inauguration is expected to be announced by the committee after every thing is done with some chiefs suggesting that it should be merged with the Annual Gonjaland youth Association Congress that will be held in Damongo in April, 2019 but many of the chiefs and people present never supported that idea and said the inauguration must be done separately.
Speaking at the meeting, the Northern Regional Police commander, Mr Timothy Yorga expressed worries about the rate of high way robbery especially on the Bole to Bamboi stretch of road and urged citizens to volunteer information to the police to help arrest the ruthless robbers. He went further to appeal to the government through the Yagbonwura to help the police with pickups and other logistics that will enable them perform their duties without hindrance.
Mr Yorgah further appeal to the Overlord of Gonja and alll chiefs of the Savanna region to resolve all chieftaincy disputes in order to facilitate and accelerate development and improve the living conditions of residents.
He demanded an end to all land and chieftaincy hostility in Gonjaland. According to him, chiefs should review the process of land acquisition in their localities, proposing that chiefs must seek technical advise from the Town and country planning officials before selling or leasing lands to individuals or companies because the Town and country planning experts would help design better layout.
He also used the opportunity to request from Yagbonwura and the Chiefs of the newly created Savanma region to allocate 25 to 30 acres of land to the police to put up infrastructure in the Savanna regional capital of Damongo.
The Chief of Buipe and Vice- President of the Gonja Traditional Buipewura Abdulai Jinapor condemned the burning and destruction of NPP party office in Salaga, following the announcement of Damongo as the regional capital of the Savanna region.
Buipewura Jinapor said the yet to be made public release will thank the President for his courageous decision in creating Savanna region and will apologise to President on what happened in Salaga.
The DCE for Bole Bole District Madam Veronica Alele who who represented government at the meeting appealed to the chiefs to look into lifting the curfew that has been imposed on Bole and its surrounding areas since that is retarding development in the area.
Source: Thepressradio.com/Zion Abdul Rauf
