By Mahama Haruna
Issah Mohammed who is the NPP Communication Officer for the Savannah Region was heard openly insulting the Mandariwura Seidu Awusi and Tunawura Mumuni Dramani of the Bole Traditional Area as well as the Secretary to the Bolewura Mr Haruna Abudulai Obey on public radio.
This was seen in a viral video in which Issah Mohammed was heard describing with disdain the Mandariwura, the Tunawura as well as the Secretary to the Bolewura Haruna Abudulai Obey as “not serious people” and NDC party apparatchiks coursing confusion in the Bole Traditional area by conferring the title Kashintenwura (Chief of Truth) title on former President John Dramani Mahama.
Not even calls by the NDC Secretary for the Savannah Region, Mr Salisu Be- Awuribe for Issah Mohammed to either be “dismissed” or “sanctioned” by his party has been heeded.
Mr Salifu Be- Awuribe was reported to have said; “If the NPP are so minded and if they claim that they respect the Chieftaincy institution in Gonjaland, then they must either dismiss their communications Director and sanction him or publicly reprimand him or render an unqualified apology to the named Chiefs, the Bolewura and the Bole Traditonal Area with accompanying customary rights to appease the Skins of Gonjaland Chiefs”.
The NDC Secretary also said that insulting an agent of any Paramount Chief in Gonja is not only an insult to the Chief himself but to the skins, the paramountcy and by extension, the entire Gonjaland.
This same Issah Mohammed from Daboya and one Fredrick Tahiru from Kpembe went to Bole, bought airtime on a Community Radio station and rained insults on former President John Dramani and other people in Bole and nothing happened! Perhaps because Issah Mohammed used all sorts of unprintable words on former President and nothing happened, he felt emboldened to extend his insults spree to the prominent Chiefs of Bole.
Before I proceed I wish to infom Issah Mohammed who is from Daboya that the Mandariwura of Bole Traditional area is the equivalent of Yazoriwura of the Wasipe (Daboya) Traditional area of Gonja. Just as every Yazoriwura is a prospective Wasipewura, every Mandariwura is a prospective Bolewura and for that matter the people of Bole Traditional area give much reverence and deference to the Mandariwura who is only subservient to the Bolewura in the arrangement of Bole Chieftaincy. The current Tunawura who is a grand son of Gbenfuwura Adama (same as former President John Dramani Mahama) and was named Dramani after his great grand father (just as former President John Dramani Mahama) is a prominent and respected Chief of the Jagape Chieftaincy gate of Bole.
The Mandariwura and Tunawura are not just prominent Chiefs but individuals who have contributed and still contributing to the development of the Bole Traditional area. Issah Mohammed cannot stand up to any of time in the next century.
The Mandariwura was a known building contractor and very resourceful. He has a hotel in Sawla and and many houses and other property at Bole and Sawla and other areas.
The Tunawura on the other hand is a businessman owning one of the biggest pharmacy shops at Sawla with others dotted across the Bole area and was a DCE for the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District.
Will Issah Mohammed ever dare to call the Yazoriwura as someone who is “not serious” and a political party apparatchik coursing confusion.
Meanwhile it was the same Issah Mohammed who penned a write up titled; “John Mahama’s boy Mahama Haruna disrespects Yagbonwura and Gonja Tradition”.
Issa Mohammed said in the write up I was summoned by the Gonja Traditional Council “for breaching the Gonja traditional procedure of announcing the death of a Paramount Chief”.
Issah Mohammed also wrote; “The slippery mouth Mahama Haruna who claims to know Gonja tradition very well and has written a lot on the tradition and chieftaincy system of Gonjas and always wants to be seen as the news breaker rushed to his Facebook wall to announce that a Paramount chief in Gonjaland has passed on” adding that “this did not go down well with the Gonja Traditional council headed by the Yagbonwura as President and assisted by Buipewura Jinapor II as Vice- President”.
Issah also wrote;
“A press release by the Gonja traditional council and signed by the Buipewura indicate that the loud mouth Mahama Haruna has taken the tradition of Gonjas to the cleaners hence Mahama Haruna has been summoned to the palace of the Yagbonwura to come and answer questions and subsequently receive his punishment as a stubborn son of the land”.
In his write up Issah Mohammed said; “It is unclear the kind of punishment Mahama Haruna will receive but many are calling on the Yagbonwura and Buipewura to let well built and strong palace servants give Mahama Haruna some strokes lashes on his back to serve as a deterrent to others”.
So what punishment does Issah Mohammed expect from the Gonja Traditional Council or Bole Chiefs after using his uncouth words on the said prominent Chiefs of Bole especially after prescribing a punishment for Mahama Haruna?
At least Mahama Haruna did the needful thing by rendering an apology in order not to give fodder to some political animals to feed on especially after linking the the issue to former President John Dramani Mahama.
Indeed I agreed that I should have contacted the Gonja Traditional Council before filing the story on the death a prominent Paramount Chief like the Tuluwewura on Bole based Nkilgi FM’s website and also made it clear I did not intend taking Gonja tradition to the cleaners by resorting to announce the death of the paramount chief of the Tuluwe traditional area without any authorisation from the Gonja Traditional Council and my apology should have ended the brouhaha but some politicans like Issah Mohammed tried frantically to get me nailed.
Between Mahama Haruna and Issah Mohammed, people will now know who is intransigent and arrogant!
Will the Gonja Traditional Council and the Chiefs of the Bolewura Traditional area allow this arrogant brat who thinks politics is about insulting everyone to go scot free?
In other parts of Ghana no political spokesperson of any political party can insult Chiefs in the and go scot free. It is time the Gonja Traditional Authority and the Chiefs of Bole crack the whip on this miscreant or else no one can ever in future for a similar offence.
Anyway we are keeping records because history always repeat itself. Will the Gonja Traditional Council and the Chiefs of Bole Traditional area ever have the right to take on anyone for insulting any Chief in any part of Gonjaland?
The Chieftaincy institution in Gonjaland has been the embodiment of the soul, culture, authority, socio-economic and political lives of the people of Gonjaland for centuries. It is a source of hope, pride and aspiration, as well as a unifying factor of Gonjas in general. The institution has been an important aspect in the lives of the people of Gonjaland.
The relevance of the Chieftaincy institution would be questioned if Issah Mohammed who claims to be a royal of the Wasipe Traditional area is not punished no matter how long it takes .
23rd August, 2020.
