Gonjaland Youth protests ‘removal’ of Kpandai District from proposed Savannah Region

The Gonjaland Youth Association is unhappy about what it claims is a “calculated attempts by some individuals” to exclude “Kpandai District from the proposed Savannah Region without the necessary consultations”.

A statement signed by Alhassan Dramani, Chairman of the group, pleaded with the “Gonja Traditional Council to caution any chief not to compromise on this attempt to remove Kpandai from the rest of Gonjaland and to as a matter of urgency draw the attention of His Excellency the Present of the Republic of Ghana that we the entire youth across the seven (7) districts from the proposed Savannah Region will not accept the creation of the Savannah Region without any of the districts as requested by the overlord.”

Below is the full statement:

GONJALAND YOUTH ASSOCIATION ON THE REMOVAL OF KPANDAI DISTRICT FROM THE PROPOSED SAVANNAH REGION

The Gonjaland Youth Association and entire youth from the proposed Savanah Region has observed that, there are some calculated attempts by some individuals to deliberately use their political positions to create mischief aimed at denying the Petitioner (Yagbonwura) his right which is being exercised under the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.

The creation of additional regions in the Northern Region was clarion call from past and present Administrators, Politicians, Chiefs, Civil Servants, Civil Society Organisations and Youth groups in the Northern Region for the division of the region to ensure effective management of its resources and promote national development.

The Gonja Traditional Council and with the support of all the youth groups particularly the Gonjaland Youth Association, promptly responded to the commitment made by the President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo in respect of the creation of new regions and submitted a comprehensive petition for the creation of the proposed Savanah Region.

The Districts which form part of the proposed Savanah Region are:

Sawla- Tuna- Kalba

Bole

West Gonja

North Gonja

Central Gonja

East Gonja and

Kpandai

The Overlord of Gonja (the Petitioner), the youth and people from all the seven (7) Districts for the proposed Savanah Region in fulfillment of the constitutional requirement under Article 5(2) of the 1992 constitution, demonstrated the need and the substantial demand at the various Public Hearings when we appeared before the Commission of Enquiry and presented the necessary documents to support the request of the overlord.

It is therefore shocking to us that plans are underway by some politicians to remove the Kpandai District from the proposed Savannah region without the necessary consultations and add it to the existing Northern Region for no apparent reason.

It was proven at all the Hearings by the Commission of Inquiry that, majority of the people in Kpandai as with all the other six districts are in support of the position of the Yagbonwura who is the custodian of the lands in Kpandai.

Kpandai is one of the three Pillars of the Kpembe Division; under the Headship of the Kanukulewura, a sub-divisional chief under the Paramountcy of the Kpembewura. Removal of one of these three Pillars amounts to calling for the collapse of the Kpembe Paramountcy.

This is a fact known to anyone who appreciates the traditional administrative set up in Gonjaland and any effort aimed at removing the Kpandai area from Gonjaland will be viewed as deliberate and an attempt to dismember the Kpembe Division and Gonjaland as a whole.

It is worth noting that, Kpandai was part of the East Gonja district until 2006 when it was carved out as separate district and therefore removing Kpandai district from the proposed Savannah region by the government is a de-facto declaration that Kpandai is not part of Gonjaland and in fulfillment of a political promise.

Gonja lost a lot of its land due the placement of parts of the land in other regions (Brong Ahafo and Upper West Regions) we cannot afford to lose any more of our land for whatever reason including administrative arrangements such as the creation of new regions.

This, among other things, is the rationale for the Gonja Traditional Council, in is petition for the creation of a region in Gonjaland requested for the placing of all the seven (7) districts in Gonjaland in the proposed Savannah Region.

The majority of the people in the Kpandai district have declared their support for the proposed Savannah Region and it will be in the best interest of the people if the government and Politicians allow the land owners and the people of the Kpandai district to express their democratic right of choice.

The Gonjaland Youth Association has faith in the independence and integrity of the revered members of the Commission of Inquiry and His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana and believe that in the interest of harmony, security and respect for traditional values, particularly the Gonja Chieftaincy system, appropriate considerations would be made to preserve the territorial integrity and dignity of the Gonja Kingdom.

We humbly request of the Gonja Traditional Council to caution any chief not to compromise on this attempt to remove Kpandai from the rest of Gonjaland and to as a matter of urgency draw the attention of His Excellency the Present of the Republic of Ghana that we the entire youth across the seven (7) districts from the Proposed Savannah Region will not accept the creation of the Savannah Region without any of the districts as requested by the overlord.

That Kpandai District must remain as part of the proposed Savannah Region and Politicians from the area and its immediate neighborhood who are determined to destabilize the area for their own political ends must desist from such acts and work at preserving the security of the area.

We call on the government to disregard any attempt from any quarter calling for the removal of the Kpandai district from the rest of Gonjaland and for that matter the proposed Savannah region since that will be regarded as an affront to the traditional values of Gonjaland.

We the Youth of Gonjaland will love to have a new region but not at the expense of our land. We can accommodate a Savannah region with the Kpandai District otherwise we prefer to remain where we are.

THANK YOU

Signed by:

Mr, Alhassan Dramani

(Chairman, Gonjaland Youth Association)

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