FULL Statement: Press Conference By The Elders Of Gbugmayili –ALHAJI NAA SALIFU DAWUNI 11 FACTION ON THE VERDICT OF THE BIMBILLA KINGSHIP

Good morning. We would like to welcome everyone to this important family gathering. This meeting is being called by the elders of Gbugmayili –Alhaji Naa Salifu Dawuni 11 faction to express their dissatisfaction about the verdict passed on the 13th day of March. 2012 on the Bimbilla kingship at the northern regional house of chiefs Tamale.

Ladies and gentlemen of the press, it is important and critical to educate and inform the good people of this country on the issue surrounding succession to Bimbilla ‘Nam’. Succession to the throne is by blood relationship with the royal gate in question and a blood relationship with a former Bimbilla Naa either as a father, grandfather or great grandfather. More importantly, succession to the throne is by rising through the hierarchy of chiefship within the gate in question.
Ladies and gentlemen of the media. Bimbilla “Nam” or kingship is paramount in Nanung with two gates Gbugmayili and Banyili succeeding on rotational basis. The apex skin title for both Gbugmayili and Bangyili are Nakpaa and Dakpam respectively. For purposesof public education, a person becomes Bimbilla Naa only when he rises through the ranks to the apex skin title of Nakpaa or Dakpam as the case may be.
With references to these cherish customes: every reasonable child in Nanung knows who succeeds Bimbilla Naa in the event of his death. If the sitting Bimbilla Naa came from Dakpam to the throne (Bangyili) he is succeeded by Nakpaa Naa that, the king makers of Nanung will then sit to determine whose skin title is next according to the hierarchy of skin tittles.
Ladies and gentlemen of the press, again, we the elders of Gbugmayili (Alhaji Naa Salifu Dawuni 11 faction) maintain the Alhaji Naa salifu Dawuni is indeed the legitimate successor to the throne as contained in the following statements of facts:
• Alhaji Naa Salifu Dawuni 11 relates to the Gbugmayili paternally. His father was the late lepusi Naa Dawuni , son of Nabiyong Dahamani who was also the son of Bimbilla Naa mahama Kalo.
• He rose through the ranks to the apex skin title of Nakpaa, which makes him the automatic successor to the throne. Alhaji Naa Salifu Dawuni 11 rose through Nantong, Bakpaba and Nakpaa. Position he has held for the past thirty (30) years.
• He was duly nomitated,elected and enskinned by the chairman of Nanung kingmakers.”Juo regent” –Osuman Mahama with the support of two other kingmakers namely: Jilo Naa and Joli Naa (seidu shei and Chimsi Awaki) respectively.
• Enskinment rites have been duly perform on him in line with our customs and traditions
• The immediate past regent of Bimbilla, Vonaa Abarika Attah duly handed over to Alhaji Naa Salifu Dawuni 11.
Ladies and gentlemen of the media, it is important to state that. Mr . Dasana Andani is indeed not qualified to ascend the throne of Nanung because of the following:
• He does not hold any of the royal chieftaincy titles neither has he served as a regent for purposes of becoming Bimbilla Naa.
• His purported nomination, election and enskinment were done by another a person without any chieftaincy title. Thus a commoner purportedly enskinned another commoner. A development that undermines the otherwise valued customs and traditions of Nanung.
Friends of the media, an issue that sounds alarming and worth mentioning is the unacceptable ruling by State Attorney. The State Attorney in her ruling said, we are now in modern system and for that matter everything deals with the constitution and that two heads are better than one. She also stated that majority carries the vote. These statements were motivated by the fact that the king makers are 9, 3 including the chairman of the kingmakers are in support of Alhaji Naa Salifu Dawuni 11 and 6 in support of Mr. Dasana Andani.
Ladies and gentlemen of the press, if this judgment is anything to go by then Mr. Dasana Andani’s late father (Bimbilla Naa Abdulai Dasana ) could not have been the chief of Bimbilla, since in 1959 he had the support of the same 3 kingmakers including the chairman of the kingmaker and his rival.
Bakpaba Naa Dawuni had the support of the other 6 king makers. All was based on the fact that, Mr. Dasana Andani’s father was occupying the seat of Nakpaa which is next to Bimbilla throne while the then Bakpaba Naa was occupying Bakpaba’s skin which is next to Nakppaa’s skin on the Nanung chieftaincy hierarchy and tradition of Nanung.
The nagging questions then to ask are? Why was the policy of simple majority not applied then? The second question is ,since when has democracy been introduced in to our customs and tradition particularly our chieftaincy institution? Besides, democracy and kingship which one precedes the other? For us, customs and tradition should have been duly followed in making a critical decision like this.
The state Attorney stated in his ruling that, Mr. Dasana Andani was enskinned as kanpakuya Naa which is never true. She also stated categorically that you can be enskinned as a paramount chief of Bimbilla without any sub-chieftaincy title, which is also not true as far as the customs, and traditions are concerned.
Ladies and Gentle men of the media, if you consider the past succession trennd of our forefathers, for example Naa Yakubu, Naa Ziblim and Naa Blaa just to mention a few, they were all enskinned as paramount chiefs of Bimbilla after occupying the skin of Nakpaa while Alhaji Naa Salifu Dawuni II being denied when he is the current occupant of Nakpaa?
The judgement pronouced by the state attorney constitute an attempt to throw dust into the eyes of the good people of Nanung in particular and Ghana as a whole. It is also an outlandish attempt to rewrite our otherwise valued customs and traditions particularly in respect of our succession arrengement we believe strongly that, the judgement was manipulated by some forces in the Mills –Mahama led government to sideline Alhaji Naa Salifu Dawuni‘s faction.The likes of minister of Agric-kwesi Ahoi,Nii Lantey Vanderpuye (the special aid to the president) among other politicians, addressing Dasana Andani on separate occasions and on national television as Bimbilla Naa was in the first place prejudicial and a clear manifestation of their involvement in twisting the verdict. Also, Hon. Alhaji Mohammed Ibn Abass-DCE of Nanumba North and Northern Regional treasurer of NDC-Rashid Tanko interfered in favour of Mr.Dasna Andani (the forma Regional Veranda Boys and Girls chairman as well as Regional treasurer of the NDC). We further wish to state that, at a meeting with the District chiefs Executives, it was disclosed to them by the Northern Regional minister that the judgement was in favour of Alhaji Naa Salifu II and that they should ensure security in the affected areas.
Conclusively, we want to make a passionate appeal to the government to a matter of urgency set up an independent and credible, non-partisan commission of enquiry to investigate the matter. We also demand the immediate resignation of Nanumba North DCE Alhaji Mohammed Ibn Abass. Anything short of this will form the basis for us to advise ourselves.
Yakubu Attah-Karaga Lana 0209955403 ...........................
(Elder of the Family)
Mr. Bawa Adam(Gunta) 0243479611/0208517822 .............
(Seretary)
Alhaji musah Abdul-Rahaman(MaliguNaa) 0246993665/0264993665 ....................................
(spokesman)