By Godfred A. Polkuu
Bolgatanga, Feb. 27, GNA – The Kusaug Peoples’ Congress (KPC), a Non-Partisan Association for Kusasis in Bawku Municipality and its environs in the Upper East Region, has expressed gratitude to the Regional House of Chiefs for the recognition of Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II as Paramount Chief of Bawku.
The House, in a statement issued by the Standing Committee, after an emergency meeting, emphasised that Naba Azoka II remained the Paramount Chief of the Bawku Traditional Area.
It said Naba Azoka was a member of both the Regional and National Houses of Chiefs and that a vacancy had not occurred to necessitate enskinment of a new paramount chief for Bawku.
“The KPC is thankful to the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs for their press release, dated 20th February, for recognising Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II (Zugraan) as Paramount Chief of Bawku and the only chief clothed with authority to enskin chiefs within his jurisdiction,” the statement said.
It urged the National House of Chiefs to publicly dissociate itself from the action of the Nayiri, who had enskinned a new Mamprushi chief, Alhaji Seidu Abagre.
The statement was jointly signed by Reverend Professor John Azumah, the President of the KPC, Mr Maxwell Z. Agbambilla, and Ms Rodaline I. Ayarna, First and Second Vice Presidents, respectively, and copied to the media.
It recognised the steps taken by the Government to address the action of the Paramount Chief of the Mamprugu Traditional Area and his elders, saying: “Although we appreciate the efforts of the Government, led by His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo … to uphold the rule of law, there is a lot more to be done.”
“We expect the Government and the State to ensure that Alhaji Seidu Abagre is arrested and prosecuted. Anything short of that, and any attempt to allow Alhaji Sediu Abagre into Bawku will completely derail the current calm in Bawku.”
“Kusasis from all over the six administrative districts of Bawku Municipal, Zebilla, Pusiga, Binduri, Garu and Tempane will never accept an imported chief to rule over them,” the statement emphasized.
The KPC urged the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to condemn and dissociate itself from comments of the Member of Parliament for the Nalerigu Constituency, Mr Issifu Seidu on the floor of Parliament on February 8, 2023.
Mr Seidu, it noted, stated “falsely that there was no Supreme Court ruling on the Bawku Skin, implying there is no substantive Bawku Naba. We expected the leadership of the NDC in Parliament to publicly clarify their position on the issue.”
Also, a comment made by Mr Mohammed Murtala, the Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, on a television station, on the origin of the Mole-Dagbane people’s group, where he “deliberately” sought to exclude Kusasis from the Gbewaa lineage was “selective and misleading,” the statement said.
It said Mr Murtala knew the Gbewaa Shrine was located at Pusiga, Kusasi territory, that “only Kusasis can sacrifice to the shrine. If Kusasis are not part of the Gbewaa lineage, how come they are the sole custodians of his shrine?”
It called on leadership of the NDC to publicly dissociate itself from the comments of the two MPs and make the party’s standpoint clear on the issue.
The statement called on all political parties to stop playing politics with Bawku and implored the public, especially persons with no knowledge of the people of the Kusaug Traditional Area, to desist from misinformation that could inflame passions.
GNA