The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has called on the government to firmly enforce existing laws recognising Zugraan Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II as the legitimate Chief of Bawku and head of the Kusasi Traditional Area, describing the directive as the final and non-negotiable step toward resolving the protracted Bawku chieftaincy conflict.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who chaired the Special Peace Committee on Bawku, presented the committee’s final mediation report to President John Dramani Mahama at Jubilee House on Tuesday, bringing to a close a high-level peace process initiated by the presidency to end decades of violent clashes between the Mamprusi and Kusasi factions.
The Asantehene said the committee’s ultimate recommendation was grounded in Ghana’s constitutional and legal framework, particularly the Restoration of Status of Chiefs Law, 1983 (PNDCL 75), and the Supreme Court’s definitive ruling on the matter in 2003.
“We chiefs, no matter how exalted, do not live above the Constitution of Ghana and the laws duly enacted and affirmed by the courts,” Otumfuo Osei Tutu II said while delivering the report.
He stressed that the Supreme Court’s decision affirming the legitimacy of Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II remains binding and must be respected by all parties, including traditional authorities.
The Asantehene specifically urged the Nayiri, Naa Mahamadu Abdulai Sheriga, the Overlord of Mamprugu, to accept the current legal position, following attempts in recent years to install a rival chief in Bawku.
“The final recommendation, Mr President, is that my brother, the Nayiri, accepts the laws as presently constituted, recognising Asigri Abugrago Azoka II as the Chief of Bawku and head chief of the Kusasi Traditional Area,” he said.
The committee’s report places responsibility for sustaining peace squarely on the executive arm of government, calling for swift and decisive enforcement of the law against any actions that challenge the authority of the legally recognised Bawku chief.
According to the Asantehene, firm enforcement is necessary to break the recurring cycle of violence that has destabilised Bawku and parts of the Upper East Region, resulting in the loss of hundreds of lives since late 2021.
“Accordingly, the laws which recognised Asigri Abugrago Azoka II must be enforced by the government of the Republic of Ghana until changed in accordance with the 1992 Constitution or reviewed by the Supreme Court of Ghana,” he said.
The Bawku conflict, rooted in colonial-era administrative policies and post-independence political shifts, has seen repeated disputes over traditional authority. However, the Supreme Court’s 2003 ruling settled the matter legally, affirming Naba Azoka II’s status as Bawku Naba.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II emphasised that adherence to the rule of law, rather than further mediation or political compromise, offers the clearest path to de-escalation, peace and long-term development in Bawku.
Source: www,kumasimail.com
