Opinions of Wednesday, 8 November 2017

Columnist: Salifu Mufteen

Bimbilla crisis not about chieftaincy

It is believed that the chaos in Bimbilla is due to chieftaincy disputes It is believed that the chaos in Bimbilla is due to chieftaincy disputes

Bimbilla the capital of the Nanumba North District have enjoyed a lot of negative reportage in the media landscape at least for the past three years.

This is the result of the intermittent clashes between perceived factions in a chieftaincy dispute. Media reports blamed the crisis on chieftaincy dispute between the Andani Dasana and Naa Salifu Dawuni’s factions. I wish to be the odd one through this write up as I deviate from what is widely reported over the past years.

Are the people of Bimbilla really fighting as a result of a chieftaincy dispute? The hard truth that has been shielded in the past is that the nuisance crisis in Bumbilla has less to do with chieftaincy. A settler family (the Kpatihi family) for more than two decades has tried but unsuccessful to find its way into the royal gates in Nanung. The family has done everything within their means to be recognized as a royal gate to the Bimbilla paramountcy.

The first crisis ever witnessed in Bimbilla started in the eighties when the late Naa Salifu Dawuni was enskinned as the chief of Nakpaa. This family masterminded and led several attacks on the late chief. The family only resorted to legal suits when their violent attacks failed.

Those who follow Nanung chieftaincy will remember how and why Kpatihi-Naa Napari (a member of the family) was beheaded under Bimbilla Naa Pienkpaa. Everyone in Nanung knows how Kpatihi-Naa Ponado Nantoma died. The mysterious deaths and numerous lunatics in this particular family communicate a lot. We should want to know why the office of the Kpatihi was scrapped under Bimbilla Naa Pienkpaa. In my candid opinion, the true royals and the good people of Nanung must take up the challenge as Bimbilla Naa Pienkpaa did!

Chieftaincy in Nunung is properly documented and it is sheer mischief that has landed Nanung in this mess. Why are we at this cross road? The Kpatihi family in its entirety failed in the past to openly command authority over Bimbilla. However, the family had its day when some uncultured politicians and individuals signed onto the family’s diabolic plans to plant evil in Nanung. Mr. Andani Dasana was rewarded with government support for being a member and leader of the NDC veranda boys and girls. The Kpatihi family quickly aligned itself with Mr. Andani Dasana and benefit from the government blind support so as to take over Bimbilla though with no success.

The chronology of events since 2014 revealed this cunning behaviour by the Kpatihi family. Why did Azindoo the self acclaimed leader of the Gbungmayili gate and ‘by force’ Kpatihi-Naa launch an attack on Vo-Na in 2015? The Kpatihi family is done with the Andani faction within the Gbungmayili gate but has seen Bangyili as a threat if the family wants to claim Bimbilla. The only way was to destroy Bangyili. And this is the reason for the numerous clashes in Bimbilla.

What is the status of the Kpatihi family in Nanung? The hidden truth is that the Kpatihi family is a settler (alien) family in Nanung. Their grandmother called Nbangba (Fatima) was a witch in a community called Kpaachiyili in Dagbon. Nbangba was banished from the community as she was accused of killing somebody. One of her sons named Chirifo Kodjo followed Nbangba to Nanung. He saw that the land was fertile and started to farm. Chirifo Kodjo finally began to make a family. Why this group can’t even visit Kpaachiyili is a public knowledge to even kids in Bimbilla.