Gonja, Tampulma Relations Re-Rebuttal From The Tampulma Traditional Council And Tampulma Youth Association

It has come to the notice of the Tampulma Traditional Council and Tampulma Youth Association (TYA) to a piece posted in the Social Media (WhatsApp) by one Bingowura Sam Saibu Adam and Caption “Gonja Tampulma Relations”

In the said article Bingowura Sam Saibu Adam tried to trace the relationship of Gonjas and Tampulmas in the Tampulma area of Northern Ghana. We as an ethnic group would not have rebutted the said piece but for the mere fact that he either decided to distort history or he did not know how the Gonjas of Daboya got into the Tampulma land. Bingowura Sam Saibu Adam in the article highlighted two issues which included;

I. That Gonjas under Ndewura Jakpa of blessed memory conquered and subjugated Tampulmas

II. That the current Kadichari Tina and his predecessor are self enskined chiefs against the wishes of the majority of Tampulmas

As regards to the first assertion, we think he either erred or did not enquire the history of Daboya Gonjas on Tampulma land. Before educating him on how his ancestors got to the Tampulma land, we would like to let him know that under their leader Kadichari Tina, Tampulmas were never conquered by any ethnic group in the present day Northern Ghana.

We also want him to know that none of the three majority ethnic groups’ i.e. Dagombas, Mamprusis and Gonjas ever conquered Tampulmas under their King Kadichari Tina of blessed memory, but instead Tampulmas played a great role in the establishment of all these Kingdoms in the present day Northern Ghana.

In the case of Gonjas, Bingowura Sam Saibu Adam attested to the fact that Tampulmas lived in their present homeland before the arrival of the Gonjas in the C16th (Sixteenth century). He also agreed that before the arrival of the Gonjas, Tampulma had their leader (King) in the person of Kadichari Tina.

When the Gonjas arrived in the C16^th as he indicated, they started their wars of expansion amongst all the ethnic groups they came in contact with including Tampulmas. At the time of their arrival, Tampulma ethnic group was not only the largest group across the west bank of the White Volta river, but they also had the most organised and strong army under their leader Kadichari Tina. With this resilient army, the Gonja confronted the Tampulmas severally but failed to penetrate. At the end of the day, instead of confrontation, Ndewura Jakpa decided to enter into an alliance with the Tampulmas. Having recognised the strength of the Tampulma troops, the Gonjas fused their army into that of the Tampulmas to come out with a formidable side. With this unified army the two groups fought in unison and were able to conquer all the land right from Yapei through to Nkoranza in the Bono East region.

As a matter of understanding, at any community they conquered, Ndewura Jakpa stationed his son or heir as the chief while Kadichari Tina appointed his own as war chief (Kankora). As we speak today, all the Kankoras of all communities in these areas mentioned are of Tampulma descent. We suggest Bingowura Sam Saibu Adam does his own investigation to ascertain these facts. The Kankora of Yapei has ever confided to this fact. After having being in good terms and even built a single army together, Ndewura Jakpa who still had a hidden agenda decided to give Kadichari Tina a wife. The King took the lady but gave her to his son who begot a son with the lady and through the grandson and mother a food (T.Z) Mosel of Kadichari Tina was sent to the Gonjas to work spiritually against the Tampulmas with the hope of still conquering them some day.

Not quite long after that, the Mamprusis sent a delegation to Kadichari Tina to sort his assistance to support them in their wars with their Sahelian neighbours. The Mamprusis had good relations with the Tampulmas since their arrival in the C13^th to their current location. Thus, as a result of this good relation, the King of Tampulma withdrew his army from the joint army with the Gonjas and despatched part of it to Mamprugu.

Having realised that part of the Tampulma army had left for Mamprugu and having secretly worked spiritually against the Tampulmas, the Gonjas under their leader Ndewura Jakpa decided to attack the Tampulmas their main neighbours. This resulted in the mother of all wars which lasted for several weeks. At the end of that war, there was no winner and no vanquished. Both sides suffered serious casualties and Gonja failed in their final attempt to annex the Tampulmas and had to evacuate their wounded and left Tampulma land for good.

Kadichari Tina, returning home after that war was also overwhelmed by their causalities and this led to his mysterious disappearance with his wife and horse and has never been seen till date. Soon after that, the Gonjas and the Tampulma decided to enter into a covenant never to fight each other again. We were also surprised, when Bingowura Sam Saibu Adam mentioned about the mystic disappearance of the Kadichari Tina who legendarily is believed to have resurfaced as the Akomfo Anokye of the Ashanti Kingdom but failed to say anything about his own leader Ndewura Jakpa of blessed memory.

THE TAMPULMA ETHNIC GROUP

The Tampulma is a tribe and they speak Tamplim as their dialect which belong to the Gur group of languages which include the Vagla, Mo and Sisala. It is believed that these groups of people were of the same parentage who quarrelled over the sharing of a dog head after sacrifice and which lead to the split and eventually into different tribes. These groups of people are believed to have been some of the indigenes of the present day Northern Ghana and South of the Upper Volta (Adu Boahen, Topics of West African History, p.64)

THE TAMPULMA AND THEIR CURRENT LOCATION

Orally, it is believed the Tampulma and their sister tribes mentioned above once lived east of the White Volta River until after their split when they all moved across to the west of the river and this is believed to have taken place between the period C10^th and C11^th centuries.

The first settlement of the Tampulma after crossing over the White Volta River was present day Daboya (Bulga). From Bulga, the people moved to cover all the piece of land stretching westward to the Wa area and Northwards to the Sisala area where they established their Capital at Kadichari, a now defunct community located in the middle of the Mole Game Resrve near Kpariya. Thus, currently, the boundaries of the Tampulma land as it stands now, borders with the Hanga ethnic group to the South by the Tachali River, the Walas and the Dagarba to the West, the Dagomba districts of Tolon, Kumbungu and Savelugu to the East, Mamprugu Kingdom to the North East and the Sisala ethnic group to the North.

Tampulma land therefore encompasses the current North Gonja District in the Savannah Region, some communities in the Wa East District such as Bele, Holmun, Katua, Grumbelle among others in the Upper West Region and portions of the North East Region where communities such as Ijeasi, Goriba, Tantala among others are all located on Tampulma land. For the purpose of clarity on the above assertion, refer to (Ghana Administrative Areas and Boundaries 1874-2009, p.6, Fig.3) on the main ethnic Groups of Ghana by Raymond Bagulo Bening where Tampulma land is labelled “Tampolensi”, Map attached. The above piece of land described has therefore been the ancestral homeland of the Tampulmas as far back as the C11^th century.

THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF THE TAMPULMA

The Tampulma are an independent ethnic group and have never been aligned to any other ethnic group or an extension of any tribe. As already stated the Tampulma have lived on their present location as far back as the C11^th and had their capital at a community called Kadichari. The chief of Kadichari was the leader of all Tampulma with the title Tampulma Kora (Kadichari Tina). The “Tina” in Tampulma means owner and the ‘Kora” in Tampulma means chief as in Mo, Vagla and Sisala languages.

Kadichari Tina was the administrative and spiritual leader of Tampulma land (Tamplim Tiene). He was always chosen from amongst the most senior Kankoras to lead the group in the event of the passing of the Kadichari Tina. The “Kankora” in Tampulma means war leader. Every community in Tampulma land had a Kankora and up to date; Kankoras remained the war leaders of all Tampulma communities. Tampulmas are great warriors as alluded to by Bingowura Sam Saibu Adam himself but only lost their composer after the mysterious disappearance of their last leader, Kadichari Tina Dorka of blessed memory but have not lost their fighting skills.

ORIGIN OF WASIPE ON TAMPULMA LAND

The Tampulma land currently combines with Hanga land to form the Wasipe Traditional Area. Gonjas of Wasipe migrated from the Bole area of the Savannah region from a community called Wasipe to their present town of Daboya (Bulga) long after the wars of conquest to be precise around the C18^th century.

In a book entitled “Muslims and Chiefs in West Africa, a study of Islam in the Middle Basin in the Pre-colonial Period” by Nehemia and Levezion et al p.64/65 states “ in the Region of Bole, there were several gold mines, such as those of Wasipe and Donkurupe. In 1888, Binger noted that these gold fields although not as rich as those in the Bonduku region, supply gold to Ligby, who go to Ashanti to buy Kola. Traditions say that the Gonja chief of Wasipe moved to Daboya because of its salt. This was probably in the later part of the seventeenth century. Would he have opted for Daboya if gold had been known at Wasipe his former territory? It is possible that gold was exploited at Wasipe only from the C18^th century”.

Bulga was the first name of Daboya. Oral history had it that the Tampulma who were the first people to have settled in the present day Daboya discovered salt in the basin of the White Volta that runs through the community. The people therefore, sunk wells from which they collected the salty water which they processed into granulated salt through the process of evaporation.

As a result of this discovery, the people name the community “Bulga” and the chief of the community Bulga-Tina. Bulga in Tampulma means “well” and Tina means “owner”. So Bulgu-Tina means “owner of the well”. Kadichari Tina, the King of the Tampulmas settled his daughter as the chief of Bulga to collect royalties in the form of fish and salt from fishermen and salt processers for him. Bulga-Tina then remained at the community while her father continued to the hinterland to establish his capital at Kadichari.

After the mysterious disappearance of her father, Bulga-Tina, the Queen mother continued to rule the community (Daboya).Oral history also had it that, while she was Queen mother of the community a Gonja hunter who was given the name “Denyan” in the Tampulma language meaning, “Take the title and stay with us” on his hunting expedition visited Bulga and put up with the Queen mother on several occasions. As a result of the continuous visits, he felt in love with the Queen mother who was not married.

At a point, they decided to marry each other. However, before that marriage could take place, the Queen mother had to consult her brothers the other Tampulma Kankoras from the other communities. To this request some of them rejected on the grounds that, being a woman if she got married to a stranger, one day the off springs of the stranger who is the man will take over the community.. Another group approved the request with the following Tampulma exclamation, “Magil ba yu a hosipe” meaning let them marry and produce to increase our population. Agreement was therefore reached and the marriage contracted. Today, the off springs of this marriage are those currently the chiefs in Tampulma communities and forms the Tampulma gate of the Wasipe skin

After the marriage, the Queen mother (Bulga-Tina), a Tampulma of the community (now Daboya) decided to cede some of her powers to the man (husband). She decided that, her husband (a Gonja) should play the role of the chief outside while she remains the Queen mother indoors. This arrangement is still in place at the Wasipewura Palace where the then Tampulma Queen mother whose name was Bulga-Tina has been modified in Gonja as Buru-wuriche with the word Wuriche being the title of a Queen mother in Gonja. Also, on the chieftaincy hierarchy in Daboya, the Buru-wuriche remains more powerful and senior to the Wasipewura. As a result, if there is a case which becomes controversial in the Wasipe Palace, the Buru-wuriche becomes the final arbiter and Wasipewura cannot challenge her decisions because she is the rightful chief of the community.

On Bingowura Sam Saibu Adam lamentation that the other Gonjas at Damongo, used to refer to Yagbonwura Awusi as a Tampulma man was in the right direction. The Wasipe skin is not known to be of Gonja heritage because Ndewura Jakpa during the period of his conquest never settled any of his sons or heir on Tampulma land all because he could not conquer the Tampulmas as he did in other areas of the Gonja Kingdom. This also explains why since the establishment of the Gonja Kingdom, the Wasipewura never ascended the Yagbon throne for over three centuries until 1943 when Yagbonwura Awusi became the first Wasipewura to ascend the Yabgonwura Skin.

The Wasipe skin was never a member of the rotational chiefs such as Bolewura, Kpembewura, Tuluwewura among others who ascended the Yagbon skin in succession all because he was considered a Tampulma chief. To be emphatic, the Wasipe skin is not a Gonja skin all because it has its roots from the Tampulma ethnic group. Yagbonwura Awusi, the first Wasipewura to ascend the Yagbon skin got the opportunity based on certain occurrences. To buttress this assertion, we refer to Nehemia and Levtzion et al p.59 who states “power in Gonja rests with the Divisional chiefs. There were eight divisions: Buipe, Kpembe, Bole, Tuluwe, Kusawgu, Wasipe (or Daboya), Kun (Kong) and Kandia. Each divisional chief except that of Buipe, had the right to succeed inturn to the paramountcy, to the office of Yagbum-wura. The chief of Kandia was eliminated in the C18^th, for reasons now not clear. The chief of Kun (Kong) were deprived of the right to Yagbum after one of them had invoked the aids of Samori to further his claims to the Yagbum Skin. Wasipe-wura also was ineligible for some time in the circumstances to be discussed later but his right has been restored since 1931”.

CHANGE OF NAME FROM BULGA TO DABOYA

On the change of name to Daboya, oral history still had it that, the hunter Denyan on his several expeditions to Bulga over stayed in one of the visit and this necessitated his father to send his brothers after him. His brothers traced to Bulga and met him and his host and stayed with them for some time before returning home.

When they were to return home, the Queen mother gave them plenty of fish and salt to take to their father. On reaching home, their father was too excited with the gift but meanwhile wanted to know from his children why their brother did not returned with them. The children retorted in Gonja, “Ntoto, kakpawo an da ka wana, ibi kibawuta bo anye”, literally meaning, “father, the place our brother is, his life is better than us” which was shortened to “Nda bo anye” meaning “our brother is better than us” and then transformed to Daboya. Their return to the Bole area with the salt also advertised Daboya to the Bole region. At that time, salt apart from Daboya was only gotten through the caravan traders who brought some salt from the North African countries. This therefore led to a vigorous trade in salt between Daboya and the Bole region hence the assertion by the writer Binger that “the chief of Wasipe went to Daboya in search of salt”.

THE GENESIS TO THE ENSKINMENT OF KADICHARI TINA (KING OF TAMPULMA) IN THE YEAR 2000AD

As already stated, the Kadichari skin became vacant since the mysterious disappearance of the Kadichari Tina Dorka in the later part of the C17^th. Two reasons account for why the skin was vacant for all that period.

The first reason was that, his people felt he was not dead and as such they could not perform his funeral before installing a new King. The second reason was that the faction of Tampulmas who left to Mamprugu before his disappearance was led by his successor the senior most Kankora in the person of Kankora Tedoro who was to succeed the King. Thus, the people back at home were expecting the said leader to come back home to take over the mantle of leadership, unfortunately the Mamprusis also convinced him to remain and take the position of Chief Warrior in the Mamprugu Kingdom.

The first attempt to rekindle the Kadichari skin in Tampulma land after a long period of absence was in the late C19^th i.e. in 1890s by Kankora Nibegimwarazen of Mankarigu. This chief warrior had returned from Savelugu with a group of Tampulmas who were stationed at Savelugu and its environs to lend support to the chief of Savelugu who was acting as the Ya-naa (King of Dagomba) for Western Dagomba after the King was moved to his present location at Yendi. These Tampulmas were found in communities such as Savelugu, Singa, Diari, Voggu and Nasia in Mamprugu etc. The supported the Dagombas in fighting some vassal tribes who were resisting the relocation of Yani to his current seat. Their leader, the Kankora served as chief warrior to the Savelugu chief (Yoo-Naa) for the period they lived there.

The same group while at Savelugu came down to support Wasipewura Adam Asei against Darfo Anyame during the second chieftaincy crisis at Daboya. “Adam Asei who was aspiring to the Yazori Skin was prevented by the reining Wasipewura, Darfo Anyame (the successor to Wasipewura Takora). Disappointed Adam Asei retreated to Yabum, North of Daboya where he was joined by forces from Dagomba who attacked Daboya killed Darfo Anyame and Adam installed a chief of Daboya (Nehemia, Levezion et al 1968)”.The group purported as Dagombas in the said crisis were the Tampulmas who were then located at Savelugu.

Sometime after conquering Darfo Anyame and installing Adam Asei, this group eventually returned to Mankarigu and their leader Kankora Nibegimwarazen sent a delegation to Adam Asei to ask for his support for Tampulmas to enskin Kadichari Tina. According to oral history, Adam Asei agreed to their request but failed to grant the request because he was still battling with insurgents (Zanbarimas) who were organised by a supporter of Darfo Anyame to distablished his regime. The Tampulmas could not therefore enskin the King before the demise of Kankora Nibegimwarazen.

In the 1950s, Yabum Tina Bonzali of Tampulma Yabum also approached Yagbonwura Awusi after he was enskined as Yagbonwura to guide him to the colonial administration to request for the enskinment of their Paramountcy (Kadichari Tina). Yagbonwura Awusi refused and even connived with the colonial administration not to grant the request. Yabum Tina Bonzali got this information and therefore took the case to court in Tamale. They were going through the court proceedings when Yagbonwura Awusi feared of losing the case in court persuaded Yabum Tina Bonzali to withdraw the case before court and that he was ready to support them to get the approval for the enskinment of their King. The case was withdrawn from court but Yagbonwura Awusi never fulfilled his promise before Yabum Tina Bonzali passed on (died).

The third attempt at rekindling the Kadichari skin was by Kakora Batom of blessed memory who led the Tampulmas from Mamprugu back home. On their arrival, Kankora Batom went to see Yagbonwura Awusi to support Tampulmas to enskin their King (Kadichari Tina). Yagbonwura Awusi asked him to go and consult Old Tampulma (those Tampulmas at Yabum, Kpariya Mankarigu) which he did and they all gave their support. Yagbonwura Awusi then led them to the colonial administration in Tamale who asked them to pay some sum of money. They were in the process of organising the money when Kankora Batom also passed on and the process stalled.

After Kankora Batom efforts failed, all Tampulmas decided to go into reflection. In 1975, their leaders met and consulted the oracles and it was revealed that because they did not perform the funeral of the late Kadichari Tina Dorka was the reason why the group was finding it difficult to enskin a Kadichari Tina. In 1976, contributions were therefore made across the whole Tampulma land which was used to procure all the necessary items including Guinea corn malt for pito, a cow, donkey, dog among other items which was used to perform the funeral of Kadichari Tina Dorka at Yabum-daha at a defunct community located between Yabum and Kpariya. After performing the funeral, they also evoked the powers oftheir deities to unveil any individual Tampulma who will bring the Kadichari skin back to life for the ethnic group.

In 2000AD, Kadichari Tina Musah Mahama I had a revelation asking him to go for the Kadichari skin. He went with this message to Kpariya. At that time the Kpariya skin was also vacant. An elder Kubache Tina was acting. He told the chief to be that, there was no substantive Kpariya Tina, and even if there was one, the onus lies on the Yabum Tina of Tampulma Yabum to consult the rest of Tampulma land for a decision. The elder, Kubache Tina then led him to Yabum Tina who was by then Yabum Tina Bawa. After hearing the story, Yabum Tina Bawa embraced him and exclaimed that “our efforts are yielding results!” He also told the chief to be that, he will call a meeting of all Tampulmas for consultation. He however told him that even though, all Tampulmas had performed the funeral of our late grandfather , he as the person seeking to be enskined was also duty bound to provide all the necessary items for the funeral to be performed again.

The candidate then provided all the necessary items required and the funeral was again performed at Tampulma Yabum. Before the performance of the funeral the candidate wrote a letter dated 10^th April, 2000 to the Yagbonwura and the Wasipewura informing them of his intention. Having performed the funeral all Tampulma leadership came out with the consenesus that, if he Musah Mahama I was enskined, on his demise, the next King (chief) will come from Old Tampulma and with this understanding, he got enskined on the 18^th June, 2000AD. After his enskinment, he wrote another letter dated 11^th October, 2000AD to Yagbonwura informing him of his enthronement and copied the then Northern Regional House of Chiefs.

Kadichari Tina Musah Mahama I was duly enskined by the rightful Kingmakers of Tampulma land headed by

i. Tampulma Yabum Tina Bawa and assisted by

ii. Elder Kubache Tina of Kapariya

iii. Tapulma Tina Bukari of Mankarigu

iv. A representative of Kankora of Lingbinsi

v. Nyankpani Tina of Tari No 1

vi. Asuma Bafifi of Gbasimpa No 1

vii A representative of the Mamprusis in the Tampulma land (Mampeasem Tina Azindow of Mampeasem) was in attendance.

Kadichari Tina Musah Mahama I ruled for seven years and passed on in 2007. His remains were interred with all the honours as a Tampulma King. His funeral was also performed as such in 2010. After the performance of the funeral, his regalia were taken to Tampulma Yabum on grounds that it was the turn of the people of the Old Tampulma to provide a candidate. The then three leaders, Tampulma Yabum Tina Ahini; the late Asuma of Mankarigu who was then caretaker of Mankarigu in the absence of Tampulma Tina and the current Kpariya Tina declined to submit themselves.

The then regent Musah Mahamadu then brought the issue to the notice of the Tampulma Youth Association (TYA) in 2011 and he was advised to undertake more consultations and after all that, if no candidate showed up, the Youth will support him to take over the throne. The executives of TYA therefore joined him to undertake more consultations with the leadership of the three communities who all agreed that they were not ready now and that he had the option to request for enskinment. This was done and he got enskined on the 12^th of April, 2012.

After his enskinment, the Tampulma Youth Association held an all Tampulma congress in December 2015 at Mankarigu where he was fully declared and outdoored as the leader and Paramount chief of all Tampulmas per the Mankarigu Declaration of 26^th December 2015. This congress had in attendance at least two members of all Tampulma communities at the Caucus meeting where the declaration was made to which minutes are available.

After the all Tampulma congress in 2015, the Tampulma Traditional Council wrote to Yagbonwura for recognition and onward recommendation to the Chieftaincy Secretariat for gazetting of their chief. Yagbonwura based on the this request wrote a letter dated 16^th February, 2016 inviting Kadichari Tina to attend a Gonja Traditional Council meeting at Damongo where he was to discuss the issue with the Gonja Traditional Council to come out with a decision on the request.

At the said meeting on the 1^st of March, 2016, Wasipewura and his entourage with two Benz Buses full of warriors who attacked a twelve member unarmed delegation of the Kadichari Tina and beat them up mercilessly wounding several of them in the clear view of the Yagbonwura and all his Council members at the forecourt of the Jakpa Palace in Damongo. Having suffered this attacked, the Tampulma Traditional Council took the decision to apply direct to the National House of Chiefs through the Regional House of Chiefs for re-designation of their chief back to Paramountcy status and which is currently being address by the said authority.

However, the Tampulma Traditional Council is still expecting to see the kind of sanctions the Gonja Traditional Council will hand down to Wasipe Traditional Council for such insubordination against the whole Gonja Kingdom.

Reports of this attack are also at both Damongo and the Regional Police stations in the current Savannah Region and Northern Region Police Headquarters at Tamale respectively.

TAMPULMA AND THE NORTHEAST REGION

When the Government of Ghana came out with a plan to create two additional Regions out the Northern Region, it was a welcome idea to all ethnic groups including the Tampulmas in the then Northern Region. This was because we all thought the creation of the two regions out of the then Northern Region will facilitate development.

However, on the maiden meeting held at Salaga for the Savannah Region, Gonjas of Daboya, once they did not want to recognise Kadichari Tina as chief of Tampulmas decided to invite their surrogates from Tampulma land who did not represent the interest of all Tampulmas to the said meeting. The leadership of the Tampulma Traditional Council upon hearing of this marginalization had no option than to also align to the North East Region where already they were benefiting from several development projects from that area. Some of these projects included;

i. The road from Fumbisi to Mankarigu which was constructed by the Oncho Free Zone Project of the then West Mamprusi District opened up the area to rest of the country. As a farming enclave, the Tampulma area in the past twenty years and beyond have been able to market their farm produce at Fumbisi, Sandema and Bolga markets and thus improving the economic life of the peasant farmers who before the construction of that road were living in abject poverty while their farm produce rot away. As we speak, officials of the North Gonja District can only get to Mankarigu through that road.

ii. The only Health Facility in the whole Tampulma area (The Mankarigu Health Centre) which was also provided by the same project which currently takes care of the health needs of the people.

On the claim by Bingowura Sam Saibu Adam that, Tampulmas are ceding their land to Mamprusis is neither here nor there. What the Gonjas from Daboya should know is that from the above write up, prove is provided enough for the ownership of Tampulma land for Tampulmas. On the demarcation provided at the beginning of the write up and subsequently the map attached, aside Daboya, there is no any Gonja community located on the land. Narrowing it down to the North Gonja District, of over forty communities in the Tampulma area of the District, no Gonja village is located there aside Daboya.

We therefore want to make it clear to the Gonjas of Daboya and their few surrogates in the Tampulma land, that Tampulmas own their land for the current generations and generations yet unborn and have no intension to cede even an inch of that land to any other ethnic group. Tampulma lands belong to Tampulmas and have to be ruled by Tampulma leaders.

Finally, on the number of Tampulmas loyal to the chief (Kadichari Tina), Bingowura tried to down play this support and claimed that the silent majority of Tampulmas were against the King. He the writer does not reside in the Tampulma communities and may not be able to prove the assertion he made. In any case, which ethnic group in Ghana in this C21st (Twenty first century) will prefer to doll out their ancestral property to another group while they continue to exist on that same property as landless people?

We wish to make it clear to Bingowura that, over Ninety-nine (99%) of Tampulmas are solidly on the side of Kadichari Tina Musah Mahamadu II and that the few surrogates or hypocrites who pretend to support the Gonjas of Daboya are people who are either not true Tampulmas or might have been Tampulmas who do not know their real ancestral background.

Signed

Bugli Musah

Chairman, Tampulma Youth Association (TYA)

Signed

Amadu Latif

Secretary, Tampulma Youth Association & Tampulma Traditional Council

REFERENCES

1. Ghana Administrative areas and Boundaries 1874-2009 by Raymond Bagulo Benning

2. Topics in West African History by Adu Boahen 1968

3. Muslims and Chiefs in Africa: a study of Islam in the Middle Volta Basin in the Pre-colonial period: by Nehemia Levtzion et al 1968.