Ghanatodayonline.com News, Politics, Health, Education & More
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has advocated for the rigorous implementation of Ghana’s current laws acknowledging Asigri Abugrago Azorka II as the rightful Bawku Naba, calling it the essential measure for achieving enduring peace in Bawku and the greater Kusasi traditional region.
In his mediation report regarding the ongoing Bawku conflict, submitted to government officials at the Jubilee House, Otumfuo emphasized that no chief or traditional leader is above the Constitution or court rulings.
He stressed that the government must maintain laws properly enacted and validated by the Supreme Court until they are legally altered or reassessed.
The Asantehene’s suggestion came after thorough discussions with Nayiri-Naa Bohagu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga, the Nayiri of Mamprugu, the Bawku Naba, and other traditional authorities as part of attempts to achieve a peaceful and lasting solution to years of conflict between Kusasi and Mamprusi factions.
Otumfuo asserts that the legal status regarding the Bawku chieftaincy has been established for a long time via PNDC Law 75, the 1992 Constitution, and later Supreme Court decisions, all acknowledging the Bawku Naba as the chief with authority over the Kusasi traditional region. He remarked that efforts to dispute this stance have been definitively resolved by the courts.
Recognizing the historic connections of the Mamprugu Kingdom to territories in the Bawku region, the Asantehene stated that present legal circumstances render it impractical to seek agreements that conflict with established law, especially regarding claims to the Bawku skin.
Otumfuo additionally revealed that the Nayiri has shown readiness to make compromises for the sake of peace, characterizing the choice as challenging yet essential.
He, nonetheless, argued that any such concessions should comply with the law and honor current legal authority.
He warned that the continued failure to enforce the lawful status of the Bawku Naba is fuelling insecurity in the area, describing the conflict as an escalating security concern that requires firm and lawful action.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
