The overlords of Gonjaland and Dagbon have jointly established a 20-member standing customary committee to find lasting solutions to long-standing land boundary disputes between the two traditional kingdoms, marking what leaders describe as an unprecedented step toward peace in northern Ghana.
The committee, made up of 10 eminent chiefs from each kingdom, was inaugurated on Saturday at Pioneer Lodge in Tamale by the Savannah Regional Minister, Hon. Salisu Be-Awuribe Issifu, Esq., on behalf of the state.
The initiative is the result of direct collaboration between the Yagbonwura, Bii-Kunuto Jewu Soale Mbemah I, King of Gonjaland, and the Yaa-Naa, Abukari Mahama, King of Dagbon, following a series of recent goodwill visits between the two traditional authorities.
“This is the beginning of a new era of friendship, cooperation and shared destiny between Dagbon and Gonja,” the Yaa-Naa said in a speech read on his behalf by Zugulana Prof, Paramount Chief of the Zugu Traditional Area.
“For centuries, Dagbon and Gonja have existed as neighbours, sharing culture, traditions and blood through intermarriage and trade. We are essentially one family, and it is this spirit that must guide our deliberations,” the Yaa-Naa stressed.
Committee Leadership
The joint committee is co-chaired by the Kpembewura, Bambange Ndefeso IV, Paramount Chief of the Kpembe Traditional Area of Gonjaland, and the Nantong-Naa, M. B. Bawah, Paramount Chief of the Nantong Traditional Area of Dagbon.
On the Gonja side, members include senior traditional leaders such as Yapeiwura Dr. Adam Baba Tanko Zakaria, Bimbalewura Alhaji Osman Mimina, and Koliwura Lawyer Yussif, Legal Counsel to the Savannah Regional House of Chiefs. Two additional Gonja representatives are yet to be nominated.
Dagbon’s delegation features paramount chiefs from Nantong, Sagnerigu, Zugu, Zangbaling, Nyankpala, Kasul and Bogu, among others, including Tolon-Naa Major (Rtd) Sulemana Abubakari.
Call for Dialogue, Not Courts
Addressing the ceremony, the Savannah Regional Minister described the move as historic and security-conscious.
“To have the two kings not only visit each other but also select the crème de la crème of traditional authorities from Dagbon and Gonjaland to sit together and resolve age-long boundary differences without resort to court and unnecessary violent disputes is visionary,” Hon. Be-Awuribe said.
He warned that land and boundary disputes go beyond chieftaincy matters and pose “serious national security concerns,” announcing that he would brief the President and seek central government support for the committee’s work.
To back the process financially, the Regional Minister disclosed that the seven district assemblies in the Savannah Region will contribute a minimum of GH₵70,000 annually to support the committee.
“The cost of preventing conflict is far lower than the cost of managing insecurity,” he noted.
Shared History, Shared Responsibility
The Kpembewura, speaking on behalf of the Yagbonwura, underscored the need for “effective collaboration, mutual understanding and continuous dialogue” to resolve all outstanding issues between the two kingdoms.
Hon. Be-Awuribe further highlighted the deep familial ties binding Dagbon and Gonja, citing intermarriages among royal lineages. He revealed that the mother of the late Yagbonwura Bungbin Lanye Soale Iddrisah hailed from Tolon, while the grandmother of the late Yagbonwura Tuntunba Boresa was from Nantong.
He added that he himself carries “dual Gonja and Dagbon royal heritage.”
Background
The formation of the joint committee comes amid recurring boundary disagreements in communities where the two traditional areas share borders. The committee is expected to rely on dialogue, customary processes and mutual respect to resolve disputes and prevent future conflict.
Observers say the initiative represents one of the highest levels of traditional collaboration in northern Ghana’s history, with implications for peace, development and inter-kingdom relations for generations to come.
Source: kumasimail.com
