Bolgatanga, April 6, GNA – The Talensi Traditional Council in the Upper East Region says the allegiance of the Paramount Chief of the Traditional Area, Tongraan Naab Kugbilsong Nanlebegtang to the Nayiri, Naa Bohugu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga, Paramount Chief of the Mamprugu Traditional Area, remains “untouched and unshaken.”
The Traditional Council in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga was in reaction to a news publication by an Accra-based online portal with the headline “Your misinformation likely to mislead the public – Nayiri warns Tongraan.”
According to the Traditional Council, the publication was a fabrication as the “the writer tried to create the impression that there was some feud between the Tongraan and the Overlord of Mampurugu, Naa Bohagu Abdulai Mahami Sheriga.”
The statement added that the said publication was “clearly untrue and a misrepresentation of the reality. It had a mischievous intent, full of falsehood and exaggerations intended to inflame passions among Talensis and the Talensi Traditional area.”
Clarifying the issue of the Namoalugu skin, which was the main subject of contention in the Publication, the Talensi Traditional Council indicated that three meetings between the Nayiri, the Tongraan and some elders of Namoalugu were held to compel the “yet to be gazetted sub-divisional chief of Namoalugu” to pay homage to the Tongraan.
The Council noted the sub-divisional chief of Namoalugu did not pay homage to the Tongraan “simply because his installation was performed by a nominated elder of the Nayiri. In all these meetings, the historical outlines of the Tongraan’s skins and those of Namoalugu were duly presented by both parties.”
The statement indicated that in one of the meetings, the Nayiri pointed out clearly to the Namoalugu representatives that theirs was a Tindana skin, “Namoalugu people, be patient. Tongraan is my son and a chief, and you are my Tindandema. Tongraan as you said, I have given them to you,” the Council quoted the Nayiri at the meetings held on April 8, 2019.
According to the Traditional Council, “The Nayiri did not mince words. He was categorical in letting the Namoalogu elders know that their sub-divisional chief is subordinate to the Tongraan, and instructed the Namoalugu chief to proceed to apologize to the Tongraan upon return.”
The statement said “This was to pave the way for his inclusion into the Talensi Traditional Council for the first time,” adding that the Tongraan later fined the Namoalugu chief to pay a cow and a ram for the pacification of the gods, and an amount of GHC 2,000.00 as the cost incurred in transporting the Tongraan and his elders to the Mamprugu Traditional Area.
“The Namoalugu chief accepted and settled the fine after which the pacification was done.
Following the payment, the Namoalugu chief was invited by the Enskinment Committee of the Talensi Traditional Council to process his application in accordance with the Chieftaincy Act.”
The Council demanded an immediate retraction of the publication and apology from management of the media outlet, “We wish to strongly caution him to refrain from publishing invented matters relating to the Talensi Traditional Area and the Paramountcy since we are aware of his biased reportage,” the statement added.
GNA