Sampa chiefs appeal to Mahama to intervene as chieftaincy dispute turns deadly

Traditional leaders in the Sampa Traditional Area are appealing to President John Dramani Mahama to intervene in a long-standing chieftaincy conflict that has claimed lives, destroyed property, and left more than 20,000 residents living in fear.

At a press briefing on Wednesday, the Nananom of Sampa described a crisis simmering for nearly two decades, warning that it is now dangerously close to becoming Ghana’s next Bawku.

The dispute revolves around the paramount stool of Sampa, the district capital of Jaman North in the Bono Region. After both families took their dispute over who should occupy the paramount stool to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, his ruling granted the Afia Takyiwaa family the right to nominate a chief. Nana Samgba Gyaflaa II was nominated and officially gazetted under Ghanaian law.

Rather than resolving the conflict, the gazettement appears to have intensified tensions. Members of the opposing Sammor Duah faction had publicly threatened violence before the gazette was issued—and those threats were reportedly carried out. Some members of the Afia Takyiwaa family were allegedly killed, properties and vehicles were destroyed, and, to date, no one has been prosecuted.

“We are not speaking of statistics,” the chiefs said. “We are speaking of human beings. Fathers who will never return home. Mothers whose voices have been silenced. Children asking questions that no one can answer.”

The crisis worsened when the Sammor Duah faction went ahead with funeral rites for the late Paramount Chief and Queen Mother, despite a court injunction obtained by the Ghana Police Service to halt the event. The rites reportedly involved prominent figures including the Dormaahene, an Appeals Court judge; the Sumahene, a member of the Council of State; the Regional Minister, who previously acted as legal counsel for the Sammor Duah faction; and the District Chief Executive.

The District Security Council (DISEC)’s allowance of the prohibited rites has further eroded public confidence in local security structures. “When court orders are treated as mere options, what message is sent to the ordinary citizen?” the chiefs asked.

Reports have also emerged of unauthorized land sales in Sampa, despite a standing court injunction. The chiefs emphasized that land is more than property—it represents identity, inheritance, and the future of generations yet unborn.

According to the Nananom, Nana Samgba Gyaflaa II, who is himself an Appeals Court judge, has exercised restraint, pursuing legal remedies and mediation even after violence erupted. But the chiefs insist that patience has limits when the state fails to act.

They called on President Mahama to enforce the principle he applied in the Bawku conflict, where the government recognized and worked only with gazetted chiefs, insisting: “The law must not bend depending on geography or influence.”

In a statement signed by Nana Kwadwo Magsah, Kokoahene and Adontehene of the Sampa Traditional Council, and Nana Abu Srigbo, Abusuapanin of the Afia Takyiwaa Royal Family, their demands are clear: enforce existing court orders, protect the gazetted chief, investigate and prosecute acts of violence and arson, and halt unauthorized land sales immediately.

Sampa is a key economic hub, known for its cashew production and cross-border trade with Côte d’Ivoire. The chiefs warn that maintaining peace in the area is critical not just for locals but for the wider region.

“Prevention is always less costly than repair. Too many tears have been shed. Too many homes have been burned,” they stressed.