Stay off Bunkpurugu chieftaincy dispute -Jamong Royal Family to Bawumia
The Jamong Royal Family of Bunkpurugu has called on NPP Flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and his 2024 Parliamentary Candidate Solomon N. Boar to immediately distance themselves from the long-standing chieftaincy dispute in the area. According to Youth Leader of Jamong Royal Family of Bunkpurugu Dantiar Francis Kenasua, Vice President Dr. Bawumia must focus on his political career and campaigns ahead of 2024 general election and stop meddling in chieftaincy issues. He spoke at a press conference organised by Jamong Royal Family of Bunkpurugu in Accra. Meanwhile, a Member of Jamong Royal Family of Bunkpurugu, Mark Musah is warning the family will take the next line of action if the Vice-President and Solomon N. Boar fail to stay way from the long-standing chieftaincy conflict in the area.
Read the full statement by Jamong Royal Family of Bunkpurugu
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PRESS CONFERENCE
02/09/2024
Members of the Press, members of Royal Jamong Family, ladies and gentlemen, thanks for honoring our invitation even at a very short notice.
Before we start, we would like to give a brief history of what has led us to this absurd turn of events. The Bunkpurugu Skin has been empty since August 1986 when one Taapang Lambon fully supported by the military usurped the Skin. But as peace loving people, the Royal Jamong Family who are custodians of the skin petitioned the then PNDC Secretary for Chieftaincy Affairs who also referred the matter to the then Northern Region House of Chiefs. The matter however never had a conclusion before Taapang Lambon died. Upon meetings between the Jamong Family and the Nayiri of mampurugu, the enskinning authority of the area to remind him of the issues surrounding the skin, we were guaranteed the slip-up that was committed by his ancestor in 1986 will be rectified. Sadly, that didn’t occur however deplorably rehashed and Abuba was enskined. The Jamong family again contested Abuba’s legitimacy at the Northern Region House of Chiefs where the case had been pending since Taapang’s time. A determination was made and the illegitimate enskinment was declared null and void. This ruling however didn’t go down well with Abuba, which saw him appealing at the National House of Chiefs. The case is still pending till date.
Members of the Press, ladies and gentlemen, it might interest the general public to know further that, the first attempt by the Jafuok family actually happened in 1931 when one Parimak Jajing from that family brought about disturbances in the area after the demise of Chief Toojak Jamung of the Royal Jamong family. His claim of also being a royal was examined at the then Nayiri’s Palace and found out that he was not a member of the Jamong Family.
The Nayiri in his wisdom dismissed Parimak’s claim as a royal after it was established that Jamung Toojak was the first settler and founded Bunkpurugu. The Jamong family was therefore declared the Royal Family and custodians of the Bunkpurugu skin and a memorandum of agreement was signed to that effect on 19th July, 1931 in Nalerigu by both parties and the following concern citizens of Bunkpurugu; Yoagbat Toojak, Parimak Jajing, Stang Jafouk, Libaktib Toojak, Kansuk Laar, Gbingbau Nakab, Tarana Sachi and Sillim Laar. This case has long been settled 93 years ago. The original document of the signed agreement will be made public for everyone who wants to see after this Press Conference.
Now, why this Press Conference?
The Royal Jamong Family through our lawyers, received a letter from the National House of Chiefs dated 8th August, 2024 with Suit No NHC.1/NR/2019 for a Final Judgement Hearing.
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of the case on 28th August, 2024. This came as a welcoming news and started bringing back joy to our family. However, few days to the said judgement hearing date, we started getting rumours from some members of the Jafuok family that the case had been postponed indefinitely and loud as he has always been, Abuba the imposter chief whose DNA is even in question as to whether he’s a true Bimoba, started boasting as usual that he had killed the matter and that it was never going to be called until his natural death. In fact, the speculation got our youth agitated but were quickly appealed to to keep calm whiles family elders worked with our lawyers to ascertain the truth of their claim. But true to Abuba ‘s words, members of the Jamong family got to National House of Chiefs premises on 28th August, 2024 only to realize that we were the only party in court and that the other side did not even make any attempt to travel to Kumasi. The family quickly got in touch with one Irene who in fact is the registrar of the House for a clarification on the unfortunate development. All she said was that a panel member was indisposed and attempts by her office to reach him proofed futile. Members of the media, ladies and gentlemen, this is what happened in Kumasi on 28th August, 2024. We wish to put on record that, the Jamong Family till now has neither been formally written to on the postponement nor given a different date. We have found this quite strange and worrying because the decision not to formally communicate to us in writing has never been the status quo.
Ladies and gentlemen, as a family, it’s is very evident that we have demonstrated times without number that we believe in the rule of law and in peace, but that should not be taken as a weakness. We are therefore sending a strong message to the state and to our highly esteemed chiefs, that the decades old patience of the Royal Jamong Family has ran out.
Meanwhile we wish to make a passionate appeal and caution to the following individuals and stakeholders; 6
First to our politicians, to stop meddling in our chieftaincy institution because that is not under their purview. We are well aware of the political pressure that is being exerted on National House of Chiefs regarding this case, though we have the faith and believe that our chiefs will not succumb to such indecent conduct by these insensitive behavior of these politicians. Abuba’s recent implicating comment of how his uncle, Vice President Dr. Mahamud Bawumia has promised to make sure judgement does not come on is a sad development and a recipe for disaster. We therefore want to send a strong word of caution to Dr. Bawumia and his parliamentary candidate of Bunkpurugu, Mr. Solomon Namliit Boar who should have known better the devastating repercussions of their actions to stay off issues surrounding the Bunkpurugu skin. The family has noted down Mr. Boar’s activities around Abuba, including their journey to Accra to meet with the Vice President in recent times. We are therefore calling on members, supporters, sympathizers and allies of the
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Royal Jamong Family not to even dream of giving their thumbs to the NPP parliamentary candidate for Bunkpurugu, Solomon N. Boar. In fact, our family has given the NPP their current Constituency Chairman for Bunkpurugu and we find it difficult to know where we went wrong to deserve such hostile behavior from Dr. Mahamud Bawumia and Solomon N. Boar. Hmmm, time will tell.
Also, we invite the good people and youth of mampurugu to help sanitize the Nayiri’s Palace. It is true that truth is bitter but it heals. How long will these people keep bringing shame to the great mampurugu kingdom? We are sending a strong signal to the Nayiri’s Palace not to bring another Bawku to Bunkpurugu, because Bunkpurugu is very close to Nalerigu. We repeat, the Nayiri palace should not bring another Bawku to Bunkpurugu because Bunkpurugu is very close to Mampurugu. But why this passionate call? We picked up intelligence and have seen how Abuba with the help of the Nayiri Palace brought into Bunkpurugu, war criminals from a place well known for conflict in this part of the country, to kill and maim innocent citizens of Bunkpurugu should the ruling not go in their favour. Some of these criminals are still in their hide outs in Bunkpurugu right now as we speak and we hope that the IGP and Ghana Police Service would act swiftly. But we want to also send a strong word of threat to these criminals to leave Bunkpurugu immediately or they will blame themselves in hell. One may however ask why these escalatory actions knowing very well the serious and severe consequences that it brings to the whole region? Well, we are as surprised as you are and are asking the same question. So should the Jamong family also take such a foolish and dangerous step by bringing opposing fighters from the same town to Bunkpurugu? We think that the state, the House of chiefs and the good people of the Bimoba land who are interested in peace should be concern. The Nayiri should know that we are Bimobas and not Mamprusis and that it was the white man that forced the authority of the Nayiri on the Bunkpurugu skin, but as far as history is concern, before the white the Bunkpurugu skin is. Having said that, as a family, the Nayiri is still our father and we will continue to regard his authority as such. And that was why when he called our family to his palace two years ago to apologize for his mistake and wrong doing to us, and to apologize we didn’t refuse going because we still see him as our father even though we urge his palace to always act in good fate. The perception and believe that the Nayiri doesn’t enskin and remove is very true but doesn’t apply to illegitimate enskinment. We are therefore calling on youth of great mampurugu to please help bring back balance to the palace in Nalerigu. A monster is being created and the earlier the issue is timely tackled, the better for us all. We must uphold the 1992 Constitution that we accepted to be a guide to our lives. Let’s work together for peace and prosperity, because that is the only way to go. Abuba must go because he’s simply not a Royal. Mampurugu must uphold the decision of their ancestors in 1931.
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Again, we are calling on our highly esteemed chiefs and kings of the land, His Royal Majesty Otumfuo- the Asantehene, His Royal Majesty the Ya-Na (the lion of Africa), His Royal Majesty Yagbon-wura, His Royal Magesty Togbe Afede, His Royal Majesty the Okyehene, His Royal Majesty Ga Manchie and all chiefs, to stand up to these unscrupulous politicians who feel no shame and have no moral decency, and do not fear God, to stop meddling in the affairs of our chieftaincy case. Let Registrar Irene tell us which of the panel members fell sick so we can at least remember him in our prayers. Let her tell us by name, we want to know. We want Nananom to give us reason to keep believing that it is worth bringing our grievances to them rather than taking matters into our own hands. As we wait for a new date, we still stand by the verdict given in Tamale on 29th August, 2019 and we would respectfully advice ourselves should there be no conclusion on the matter by end of October, 2024.
Lastly, we are calling on the good people of the Bimoba land to stand up against every form of injustice. Let’s not think that it is just about Jamong and Jafouk but about us as a people. We must begin to speak out. Because the same issue is happening to us in Jimbale, in Bimbagu and also still happening to us in Kpemale. We are emphatically stating that Bunkpurugu case is a very serious one and could get out of control if we fail to condemn evil.
Ladies and gentlemen, once again thank you for granto2ing us your audience.
