Opinions of Thursday, 25 January 2018

Columnist: Salifu Mufteen

Nanung-Dagbon memorandum to Commission of Inquiry into creation of new region

President Akufo-Addo promised to establish new regions in the country President Akufo-Addo promised to establish new regions in the country

I read a letter with the above caption purported to have been written by one Nyelinboligu Naa Yakubu Andani Dasana, a supposed acting president and regent of Bimbilla. The letter in question was written and submitted on behalf of the chiefs and people of the Nanung Traditional Area to the Chairman of the Justice Stephen Allan Brobbey Commission of Inquiry into the Creation of New Regions.

The author of the letter stated “As the Acting President of the Nanumba traditional council, I confirm that the memorandum is properly issued on behalf of the chiefs and people of the Nanung Traditional area …..This joint submission supersedes any other representation that may have been previously made in person or in writing from the Chiefs of the Nanung Traditional Area on this subject.”

Let me first of all remind Ghanaians, that the Nanung Traditional Area for now has no acting president since the Bimbilla skin is vacant. However, granted that Yakubu Andani Dasana is the legitimate regent of Bimbilla, then there is urgent need to peruse his leadership capabilities on this subject.

I will not begrudge Yakubu Andani Dasana for thinking that Nanung is just a number that should be added to another traditional area in matters such as this. It is about time we understood that Nanung is an independent kingdom just as Dagbon. Therefore, anyone who mean good for the land and her people must take decision that is free of what a sister kingdom thinks. The culture of ‘I second’ must stop!

Clearly, Yakubu Andani Dasana lacks the capacity to preside over the Nanung Traditional Area. The Dagbon Traditional Council convened a meeting before arriving at its decision not to be part of the new region. How did Yakubu Andani Dasana arrive at his decision as contained in his secret memorandum? If Yakubu Andani Dasana is serious and have authority over the people, how come he only had ‘chiefs’ from one family signing his secret memorandum? Which stakeholders were consulted?

I wish to state without any ambiguity that Yakubu Andani Dasana lacks any authority to submit a petition for and on behalf of the people of the Nanung Kingdom. His secret petition is malicious, scandalous and only sought to perpetrate mischief. It’s never the position of the Nanung Traditional Council.

It’s mind boggling why Yakubu Andani Dasana and his buddies always want to stifle development in Nanung. What makes it a crime if Bimbilla host the new region? How is it wrong if I have to travel within a short distance to my regional capital should Yendi get the opportunity to be the capital for the new region? What about the employment opportunities for the youth? Must you continue to satisfy your parochial interest at the peril of the masses?

The sad aspect of this sabotage is that some pretenders who parade themselves as leaders of Nanung, home and abroad, privately support the agenda of the enemies of progress. This is really unfortunate. Our weakness as a people is our ‘God will do it’ mantra. The culture of silence must stop. The memorandum written by Yakubu Andani Dasana dated 10th January, 2018 deserves a counter petition from all the interest groups in Nanung. You will be deceiving yourself if you gather your family members to sign a paper and claim that it’s for the people of Nanung.