Before I delve into the main reason for writing this feature, I wish to say my attention has been drawn to a write up by one Ansumah Kipo from Sawla who described me in unpalatable terms.
Ansumah Kipo in his feeble attempt to discredit me because of a write up I did said; “He, Mahama Haruna who cannot afford silver or gold by himself but depends solely on his political paymaster most especially the Savannah MPs needs to be called to order by the leadership of the Gonjaland Youth Association and the Traditional rulers in the Bole traditional area”.
I see what he wrote as laughable because what he Ansumah Kipo do not know is that I have a lucrative job and don’t rely on any one for my personal needs.
My message for Ansumah Kipo is that in the coming months I have a lot of information for him on Ankaara Sankara with facts.
I will let the world know how Ankaara Sankara frauded Dalex Finance Company and was arrested and put in Police cells for days and how a DCE for Wa West paid the money and he was released.
I’m the most responsible person Ansumah Kipo can find when it comes to fending for my family. I’m not like Ankaara Sankara whose wife divorced him because he couldn’t feed her.
Now why this feature?
After Hajia Barikisu Losina Watara was sacked as DCE for the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba constituency, I did a write up and disclosed that information I have says Hajia Barikisu Losina Watara was replaced because of the ethnic political dynamics in the area and the resolve of the NPP to win the seat for the first time in the 2024 elections.
I said a popular political figure in the constituency Rev. James Kipo Sunyehzi is lacing his boots to contest as an Independent candidate and
I went further to state that the NPP candidate for the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba constituency as PRO of the Lobi Youth Association was known to be a tribal bigot and a known hater of Gonjas and therefore engineered many ethnic issues between Gonjas and Lobis in the constituency.
Ankaara Sankara was the source of many audios and write ups challenging and calling for Lobis to defy Gonja Traditional authority and so the NPP realising their mistake in selecting him came with out with a strategy to get Vaglas and Gonjas who constitue about 40% in the area to vote for the tribal bigot and NPP candidate Ankaara Sankara, hence appointing one Jacob Dumakawe as DCE for the area, with the expectation that he will neutralise the support base of Rev. James Kipo Sunyehzi to pave way for the NPP Candidate to win the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba constituency seat in 2024.
This write up led to a flurry of replies and attacks from some NPP nonenentities on their WhatsApp groups including one Ansumah Kipo.
There are several records of he Ankaara Sankara stoking ethnic problems in both the Bole and Kong Traditional Areas of Gonja.
On 31st August 2019, the ethnic bigotry of Ankaara Sankara led to the Gonja Traditional Council calling a meeting of stakeholders at the Palace of the Buipe traditional area of Gonja
Why was the meeting called?
On the 25th of August 2019, some disturbing reports came in from a community in the Kong Traditional Area (Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District) called Teletuma. Ankaara Sankara had gone to tell the Brifor people to resist paying shea nut Royalties to the land owners (Gonja Chiefs) of the area which resulted in disturbances that led to lost of properties and nearly brought aboit a full blown conflict between Brifors and Gonjas.
At the Gonja Traditional Council between Kong Chiefs and the Brifor Youth Association, the Buipewura was told how the Sawla District police Commander told the Paramount Chief of the area Kongwura that his chiefs had been apprehended by the police, following a report by the PRO of the Briffor Youth Association (Ankaara Sankara) to the effect that armed men had attacked Teletuma, and that the chiefs were in police custody.
The Buipewura asked Ankaara Sankara the biggest ethnic instigator in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District to read in the presence of everyone a press release which had been written by him on the issue.
The Buipewura, after further deliberations, cautioned Ankaara Sankara to desist from fomenting trouble between the Traditional Council and the Brifors by inciting them to refuse the payment of royalties. He stressed that royalties were lawful and that even the government paid royalties to chiefs
Also on 17th April, 2020, the Paramount Chief of the Bole Traditional area summoned Executives of the Brifor Youth Association to Bole over several write ups on social media as well as other activities that he said did not only belittle Traditional Authorities in the Bole Traditional area but likely to disturb the peace and unity among Gonjas and Brifors.
At the meeting the Bolewura cautioned them to stop formenting trouble in the area and that he Bolewura would not allow the Brifor Youth Association to trample on traditions and Customs of Gonjas who are the land owners.
Then PRO of the Brifor Youth Association and now NPP candidate Ankaara Sankara who sensed danger absented himself from the meeting. This did not stop the Bolewura and his Council from mentioning Ankaara Sankara as the biggest source of ethnic strife in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District which has about 90% of it’s land falling under the Bole Traditional Area.
The members of the Brifor Youth Association at the Bolewura’s Palace were told Mr Sankara was likely to be banned from any part of the Bole Traditional area if his constant insults on Gonjas through write ups which they have always intercepted. Bolewura said write ups that can promote trouble should be avoided and that one Ankaara Sankara has been engaging in intellectual madness and that they will keep following his social media and Facebook live messages and will take a decision on him if he does not stop what he was doing.
Bolewura Sarfo Kutuge Feso (I) referred to a particular write up of Ankaara Sankara after Bolewura and his Chiefs were invited to Bouna in Cote D’Ivoire for a festival, for which reason they invited the Brifor Youth Association.
Ankaara Sankara wrote; “Fellow Birifors, these group of traitors with the sort of betrayal agenda have since visited some Palaces of chiefs and have planned with them to unleash suffering on Birifor farmers. One target is the cashew sector. They have since taken some chiefs to Bona, in Ivory coast to draw their old age held conclusion that, we truly don’t own lands here, therefore cash crops among other things must be contributed for them”.
Some may think I’m doing politics but to be forewarned is to be foretold. As I write Ankaara Sankara is still whipping members of the Brifor ethnic group against Gonjas and other indegenous groups.
It was this same Ankaara Sankara who said no to the creation of the Savanna Region and went further to agitate that the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District in Gonjaland should be added to Upper West region. It was this same Ankaara behind numerous letters against the Bolewura’s agenda to rename all settlers communities within his Traditional Area into Gonja and Vagla Indegenous names.
Gonjas and Brifors have lived peacefully for decades. But what more facts does someone need to conclude that Ankaara Sankara will bring war between Gonjas and Brifors in the unlikely event he wins as a Member of Parliament for the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba constituency of the Savannah Region (Gonjaland)?
Without sounding political, it must be noted that the MP and Parliamentary candidate of NDC for the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba constituency Hon Andrews Chiwitey Dari is a Brifor like Ankaara Sankara (NPP candidate).
But I’ve monitored Hon Chiwitey and has not come across any Gonja, Vagla, Dagarti accusing him of being a tribal bigot.
He has always been behind his people the Brifors strongly and will do anything to defend Brifor interests but has always done that with diplomacy and understanding especially when it comes to dealing with Gonja Traditional authority.
I vividly remember my own issues with Hon Andrews Chiwitey after some misunderstanding over a Brifor programme on Nkilgi (which I Manage), to the extent he summoned me before former President John Dramani Mahama.
Hon Andrews Chiwitey is very strategic and always working for unity and understanding among all ethnic groups in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District, hence upholding the peace in the area since he won as MP in 2016.
Sawla-Tuna-Kalba constituency of the Savannah Region (Gonjaland) need an MP that will promote peace, work for unity and understanding and as well work for the development of the area but not an ethnic bigot and warmonger.
By Mahama Haruna
(6th February, 2024).
