Mr. John Dramani Mahama, Stay Away From The Bawku Chieftaincy Issue: No Supreme Court Declared Anyone As Bawku Naba

Former President John Dramani Mahama has once again shown his disrespect to Mamprugu by meddling in the Bawku Chieftaincy issue. Today (11/11/2024) in Kumasi during Former President Mahama's meeting with the clergy, he ignorantly indicated that The Supreme Court has ruled on who is Bawku Naba, and that someone was also enskinned as Bawku Naba recently and the government helped the person to go to Bawku. Mr. John Mahama, really! Your disrespect for Mamprugu is glaring.

What really happened in 2003 at the Supreme Court?

The Mamprusi went to the Supreme Court for the interpretation of PNDC Law 75.

What was PNDC Law 75 about?
It was a Law passed by the PNDC government to recognize a Kusasi Chief of Bawku (Abugrago Azoka), who the National House of Chiefs in 1983 described as a COMMONER and hence, he died as a COMMONER. The PNDC Law apparently did the unthinkable. The law was passed to recognize this chief (Abugrago Azoka) after his death, posthumously.

The PNDC law 75 was also passed to prevent the Mamprusi from performing the funeral of the late Bawku Naa Adam Tampuri as a Chief of Bawku. Bawku Naa Adam Tampuri was enskinned by the Nayiri in 1967 after the passage of The Chieftaincy Restoration Act and was declared by the National House of Chiefs in 1983 as the legitimate chief of Bawku

So, in 2003, the Mamprusi went to the Supreme Court to seek interpretation of the PNDC Law 75. It was there they realized that the PNDC Law 75 that prevented them from performing the funeral of their late chief and that made the Kusasi Chief of Bawku, a Bawku Naba (Abugrago Azoka) was repealed. It meant they could go ahead to perform the funeral of their late chief and hence, they applied to the Supreme Court to withdraw their case and the Supreme Court granted their application for withdrawal.

Apparently, that is the Phantom Supreme Court Ruling Mr. John Mahama is ignorantly talking about. It was the same way President Nana Akufo-Addo and some of his appointees were ignorantly saying that The Supreme Court has brought finality to the Bawku Chieftaincy.

So, the revelation in The Supreme Court in 2003 that the PNDC Law 75 was no more, indeed gave the Mamprusi advantage and they didn't hesitate to utilize it.

It is simple to understand that 'the PNDC Law 75 made Chief, Abugrago Azoka and his family' cannot be Chiefs of Bawku again because the PNDC Law 75 disappeared with them. Hence, the family is back to Commoner Status as described by the National House of Chiefs in 1983.

Judging from the above narrative, it is clear that the proceedings at the Supreme Court in 2003 rather indicate that The Mamprusi Chieftaincy was restored to them with the repeal of the PNDC Law 75 (The Law That Made Abugrago Azoka a Chief of Bawku is no more).

What people should also understand is that Abugrago Azoka went to the National House of Chiefs to challenge NLCD 112 that disenkinned him as a Bawku Naba.

What was the NLCD 112 about?
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah illegally disenkinned and disenstooled over 500 chiefs across the country because they were not supporting his party and appointed his followers to occupy those positions. Abugrago Azoka was one of the beneficiaries of that act of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah appointed Abugrago Azoka, the first 'Kusasi', as a Bawku Naba in a CPP's rally ground in Bawku whiles there was legally enskinned 13th Bawku Naba by name Naa Yirimia Mahama (enskinned by the Nayiri in 1957). Naa Yirimia Mahama was exiled by the vindictive Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

The NLCD 112 was called Restoration of Chieftaincy Act. This decree restored all the chiefs disenstooled and disenkinned by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, making every Dr. Kwame Nkrumah's Chief, a COMMONER, hence, Abugrago Azoka.

So, Abugrago Azoka went to the National House of Chiefs to fight the NLCD 112 and National House of Chiefs told him, he was a commoner. The National House of Chiefs could not restore him because 'Dr. Kwame Nkrumah left with all his appointed chiefs', including Abugrago Azoka.

The PNDC government meddled in the Bawku Chieftaincy by passing the PNDC Law 75 to make Abugrago Azoka a Chief of Bawku, even after his death while also unmaking, after his death, Bawku Naa Adam Tampuri, who The National House of Chiefs declared as a legitimate Chief of Bawku in 1983. Very ridiculous!

But thankfully, the PNDC Law 75 is no more and the Abugrago Azoka and his family are back to reset.

What people should understand is that it was not this recent 'Kusasi Chief of Bawku' (Asigri Aninchema Abugrago) that the PNDC Law 75 was passed to make a chief but his father. So, a legitimate question is, who then made this recent Kusasi Chief (Asigri Aninchema Abugrago), a chief of Bawku?

So, Former President John Mahama should respectfully stay away from the Bawku Chieftaincy issue and allow the feuding factions to seek redress at the appropriate institutions. The people of Mamprugu have never relied on politicians in their pursuit to preserve their centuries old Chieftaincy Tradition in Bawku. They have suffered in the hands of many politicians and would not allow Mr. John Mahama to continue to disrespect them.

Thank you
Alhaji Salifu Hadara
A Citizen of Mamprugu
Always At Your Service
Mamprugu First
11/11/2024