John Mahama's Comments about Bawku Reminiscent of the Dark PNDC actions in Bawku

John Mahama's declaration of intent to use his executive authority to meddle in the Bawku crisis in favor of one faction is reminiscent of the actions of their foundational regime (PNDC government) and it's appointees like Cletus Avoka who is one of those advising JDM.

Cletus Avoka as a young lawyer appeared as one of the lawyers for Abugrago Azoka in the 1980 Bolgatanga High Court case. He lost and his client, Abugrago Azoka, was restrained by the High Court from carrying himself as Bawku Naaba.

Then, Bawku Naaba Naa Tampuri Adam Zangbeo after his decisive victory passed away in 1981. Yet again, the new PNDC government with John Ndebugri as Regional Secretary, Sule Agholisi as District Secretary and Cletus Avoka as an appointee, without any legal justification, denied the people of Bawku the right to perform the funeral of their late chief who died as the gazetted chief of Bawku. John Ndebugri even wrote a derogatory letter threatening then Nayiri Naa Badimsuguru.

Then, in February 1983 under the very eyes of the PNDC with Ndebugre, Avoka and Sule Agholisi as key appointees, bandits were unleashed to ransack the Bawku Traditional Council which was under the custody of Mamprusis. This caused the PNDC government, through Otumfuo Opoku Ware II as then President of the National House of Chiefs, to constitute a sub committee to investigate the crisis. At the end of the hearings in March 1983, the committee agreed in principle that the Bawku Traditional Area was under the Suzreinty of the Nayiri of Mamprugu and recommended that the PNDC government IMPLEMENT the ruling of the National House of Chiefs which was still under hearing.

Fortunately, the National House of Chiefs ruling came sooner after two months in May 1983. As usual again, Cletus Avoka was part of those who appeared for Abugrago Azoka at the National House of Chiefs and lost. In fact, his client was described as a commoner by the National House of Chiefs. Shortly after the ruling of the National House of Chiefs, Abugrago Azoka died in September 1983 as a commoner. Take note that Bawku Naa Tampuri died as legal gazetted chief of Bawku in 1981.

Instead of the PNDC government IMPLEMENTING the ruling of the National House of Chiefs as recommended earlier by the eminent chiefs put together by Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, the regime promulgated one of the most draconian, absurd and above all unjust laws ever to meddle in Chieftaincy. They promulgated PNDC Law 75 which said that, Naa Tampuri Adam Zangbeo who died as legal gazetted chief and won a case at the National House Chiefs even after his demise has been deskinned. And on the other hand, the law said Abugrago Azoka who the National House of Chiefs described as a commoner and died as such was reinstated. This was the height of injustice Avoka and his peers in the PNDC perpetrated after they realized that they had no case in the courts and traditional set ups like the National House of Chiefs. Note that Avoka appeared in all Court cases and committees from 1980 to 1984 and lost in all of them.

This, in summary, is the dirty work done by the PNDC and it's appointees that has contributed to protracting the Bawku conflict. But this is not all. The promulgation of PNDC law 75 escalated the violence with the benefiaciries of the law attempting to use it to ethnic cleanse the people of Bawku. The same PNDC government constituted a committee called Committee to Investigate the Bawku Lands Dispute chaired by Col (RTD) Minyilla to look into the issues in 1984. Then again, Cletus Avoka appeared in the committee for the Kusasis. The committee made adverse findings against PNDC appointees like Ndebugre, Avoka and Sule Agholisi. The committee further recommended that the PNDC government repeal the PNDC Law 75 which it described as the cause of the conflict. But the PNDC government refused to repeal the law to allow for peace as recommended. It was only after the advent of constitutional rule that the law was repealed in 1996 by Act 516.

In conclusion, John Mahama and the NDC need to stay away from playing politics with the Bawku crisis. The current troubles are a manifestation of the dark days of their foundational regime, the PNDC, and they should stay away from the advice of people like Cletus Avoka and his mentees like Mahama Ayariga. Also, these dangerous comments by John Mahama should also be a wake up call and eye opener to people who had good thoughts about him.

Written by:
Dr. Issah Imoro
([email protected])