New Dagbon Peace Advisory Committee wants occupant of Nanton skin removed

The Dagbon Peace Advisory Committee has declared as uncustomary, the unilateral occupation of the Nanton skin by the chief of Zosali, Naa Haruna Tia. 

The committee further described the decision by the former Northern Regional Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), to seize control of the Nanton division, as a threat to the peace and security in Dagbon and Nanton in particular.

It, therefore, recommends that Naa Haruna Tia should be accordingly advised to vacate immediately. 

The report, which has been intercepted by JoyNews, is a culmination of nearly five months of intense deliberations by the five-member committee chaired by chief of Kumbungu, Naa Iddrisu Abu. 

The committee made up of three top  Abudu chiefs, including the Tolon Naa Major Abubakari Sulemana (Rtd) and Mion Lana, Mahamadu Abdulai II, was necessitated by the decision of the chief of Zosali, Naa Haruna Tia, to take over  Nanton after the Ya-Na selected and enskinned chief of Voggu, Vo-Na Mohammed Bawah Baba, as the new Nanton-Na. 

In April, the Ya-Na Abukari II appointed Vo-Na M.B. Bawah to the Nanton skin but Haruna Tia, who was among some 22 other candidates, rejected the Ya-Na's appointment and moved to occupy the town.  

Escalated violent protests followed and the town was on lockdown for several weeks. Roadblocks were mounted and threats were issued to both the Ya-Na and his appointee. 

The Zosali Lana himself claimed he has the favourite of the townspeople and called the bluff of the Ya-Na after accusing him of filling up chieftaincy vacancies in Dagbon with members of his Andani royal family. 

After several failed efforts to get the Zosali Lana out of Nanton, including a recommendation by the Asantehene- which was ignored- the Ya-Na put together this committee on May 14, 2019, and endorsed by the government.

The committee concluded with three key recommendations to the government, which is the main enforcement body of the Dagbon roadmap to the peace plan, to take action immediately. 

The committee also said it found the actions of the Zosali Lana to occupy Nanton as a  "criminal offense under section 63 (a) of the Chieftaincy Act, 2008, Act 759, and must be treated as such by the law enforcement agents and the culprits duly held to account".

The report copied President Akuffo Addo, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, National Security Minister, and several security agencies, unanimously recommended a forceful removal of the Zosali Lana from Nanton “should he refuse to listen to wise counsel.” 

The Dagbon peace deal was brokered by the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and his two eminent colleagues - the Nayiri Naa Bohagu Mahami Shariga and the Yagbonwura, Tutumba Boressah II, after more than 12 years of turbulent mediation talks following the 2002 incident. 

The Northern Regional Minister and Security Council chairman, Salifu Saeed, declined to comment when contacted by JoyNews.

Joynews