The name of the Paramount Chief of the Bole Traditional area Bolewura Sarfo Kutuge Feso (I) is missing in the list of the five prominent Chiefs from the Savannah Regional House of Chiefs to represent the Region at the National House of Chiefs and so has has petitioned the Gonja Traditional Council under the leadership of the Yagbonwura Tuntumba Boresa (I).

The petition from the Bole Traditional area signed by the Bolewura and 108 sub- Chiefs of the Bole Traditional area and sighted by Bole Based Nkilgi FM avers that there are certain incontrovertible anomalies inherent in regulation 12(1) (c) the L.I. 2409 which borders on the list of membership of both Savannah Regional House of Chiefs and National House of Chiefs for Savannah Region (Gonja Traditional Area), as pertained to all other Traditional Areas listed in the L.I.2409, which instrument was make on 30th, June 2020 and gazetted on 1st July, 2020.

According to the Bolewura, “Per the observations, I humbly would like to bring to the notice of the National House of Chiefs, that the anomalies have occurred in the list presented to the National House of Chiefs and its President, which constitute a serious breach of law and customary law and usage pertaining to the Bole Traditional Area, by whenever or wherever the list emanated from”.

The petition added that “the specific issues/anomalies are that the existing divisional Chiefs of Gonja are five (Wasipe, Kpembe, Bole, Tulwe and Kusawgu) and two others k
Kandie (which has been in abeyance since the Samoro’s war in of 1895-1897 and now in the Upper West Region of Ghana today) and Kong (which have permanently been banned from kingship of Gonja) as a result of massacre innocent princes of Bole and Tulwe Traditional Areas in 1939″.

The petition further said the inclusion of the Vagla kooros as members of the Regional House of Chiefs of the Savannah Region is a serious breach of the L.I 2409 Regulation 12(1)(c), since both are not and cannot be divisional chief and can best be classified as clan/family heads of their specific communities only.

“Worst still, is the inclusion of one Mr. Dari Soditey (a settler) who occupies neither a skin nor even a head of his specific tribe” and so in effect there had been a contradiction in the Bole Traditional Area as pertained in L.I 2409 Regulation 12(1)(c)”.

The Bole Chiefs in their petition also said, “an illegality is the choice of Kong wura who is not even qualified to be a member of the Regional House of Chiefs in the in National House of Chiefs and so in eliminating Bolewura from the membership of the National House of Chiefs for Kong wura is another serious breach of the L.I 2409 as the five prominent divisional Chiefs who rotate to the kingship (Yagbon) of Gonja remain Wasipe, Kpembe, Bole, Tulwe and Kusawgu.

“Therefore in attempt to replace any of these five divisional Chiefs for Kong wura or any other body in a recipe for chaos. The choice of Kong wura to the National House of Chiefs constitutes illegalities and can be contested in the court of competent jurisdiction. This situation can be avoided now and in future doing and instituting the right thing” the petition stated.

It added; “We wish to humbly recommend and solicit the indulgence of the president of Gonja Traditional Council to look into this issue as a matter of urgency to correct the anomalies and the illegalities as pertained in L.I 2409 Regulation 12(1)(c). Bole Traditional Area is one of the largest Traditional Area in Gonja Kingdom, in view of this, more of the Chiefs in the Bole Traditional Area should be considered”.

A total of 5 Paramount chiefs in the Savannah Region including the Yagbonwura will be representing the Savannah Region at the National House of Chiefs meetings in Accra and in the absence of the Yagbonwura who is the President of the Gonja traditional area, his Vice the Buipewura represents him.

The other Chiefs include the Kpembewura, Kongwura, Kusawguwura, Bamboi Koro representing the North Mo traditional area.

Meanwhile the Bolewura Sarfo Kutuge Feso (I) has been accepted as a Member of the Gonja Traditional Council at a colorful ceremony presided by the Yagbonwura Tuntumba Boresa (I) at the Jakpa Palace on 23rd September, 2020.

The Buipewura Abudulai Jinapor (II) who spoke on behalf of the Yagbonwura entreated Bolewura to unite his Traditional area after prayers were said by the Yagbon Imam and the Bolewura paying homage to Yagbonwura and then doing a traditional dance to signify his happiness in being accepted as a member of the Gonja Traditional Council.

Source: nkilgifmonline.com