Help resolve Babato Chieftaincy dispute - North Mo to Bole Traditional Council

A delegation of Chiefs and Queen mothers of the North Mo Traditional Council in the Bole District of the Savannah Region has paid a courtesy call to the Palace of Bolewura Sarfo Kutuge Feso (I) on Thursday, 24th December, 2020 and appealed to him to help resolve the Babato Chieftaincy dispute.

The visit of the Mo North Chiefs was also meant to rekindle the ancestral and brotherhood relationship that exists between the people of Bole and the Mo people for many years.

The North Mo Traditional Council delegation was led by the Chibrinyoa Linguist Nnaa Buah Anthony and the delegation included Nnaa Dr. Agbaa Jaaga (ll), Chief of Bampewa; Nnaa Kwame Krah Jama Krontehene; Nnaa David Busi Regent of Jugboi Koro; Nnaa Boweelaakaa Bia Koro; Nnaa Hawa, Queen Mother of Bampewa.

Speaking on behalf of the North Mo delegation at the Bolewura’s Palace, Nnaa Dr. Agbaa Jaaga (ll) Chief of Bampewa said they were asked by the Bamboi Koro who is the Paramount Chief of North Mo Traditional Area to officially inform Bolewura Sarfo Kutuge Feso (I) and the Bole Traditional Council that they are ready to withdraw a court case currently before then Northern Regional House of Chiefs bordering on the Babator Chieftaincy skin.

Nnaa Dr. Agbaa Jaaga (ll) said though the case was sent to court by the Mos in Babato, the long-standing relationship between Gonjas and the Mos cannot be trampled upon hence the need for an out of the settlement.

He appealed to the Bole Traditional Council to convey their message to the Overlord of Gonja Traditional Area Yagbonwura Tuntumba Boresa (l) that he should help resolve the long-standing chieftaincy dispute in the Babato community and that they will never do anything to destroy the brotherhood that have existed between Mos and Gonjas.

Speaking exclusively to Bole based Nkilgi FM after the meeting, the Chief Linguist of Chibrinyoa Linguist Nnaa Buah Anthony said; “the fact of the matter is that the Bolewura invited Chiefs from the North Mo traditional council to join him celebrate the Damba festival, due to unforeseen problem his traditional council couldn’t pay courtesy call, as a matter of fact, today, the council has decided to come and pay homage and also have one and one discussion with the Bolewura and his eminent Chiefs”.

He added; “Actually, there has been a long-standing chieftaincy dispute between Bole and Bamboi at Babato where we have two people claiming ownership of a community hence we have two people as Chiefs of the community. So the Paramount Chief of North Mo traditional council and his elders has decided that the should be reunification and reconciliation for the peaceful coexistence that existed between the Gonja and for that matter Bole and Bamboi and the Mos since time immemorial...there is no time for us litigate and for that matter, we need to come together as one family for the younger generation to also come”.

Nnaa Buah Anthony also said; “In fact, we are highly privileged, happy to Yiram Bolewura and his eminent Chiefs for their warm reception they have given us and the response from the Bolewura actually depicts that he knows the culture and indeed culture is inculcated in him and for that matter, we wish him well and that also we will also assure that we will educate our people, so that we will come together as one, withdraw the matter from court, solve it amicably and the love and unity will continue”.

As custom demands, the North Mo Traditional council delegation presented snaps and assorted drinks to the Bolewura and in return, the Bolewura also presented a Ram and Yams to his visitors.

The Paramount Chief of the Bole Traditional Area, Bolewura Sarfo Kutege Feso (l) in his speech welcomed the delegation and assured them to count on him in the pursuit of their request and recounted how his predecessors and the Mos have lived together in peace and harmony.

Bolewura Kutuge Feso (I) said the relationship between the Bole Traditional area and Mo started during time immemorial and that he will meet his Traditional Council so that they consider how to rekindle the relationship with Mo after which he will personally go to the Yagbonwura and inform him Bole and North Mo have united after which the Chiefs of Bole and North Mo will move to the Yagbonwura together for further interactions.

It would be recalled that the Paramount Chief of the Mo Traditional area Bamboi Koro Nana Kwaku Dapaah petitioned then Northern Regional House of Chiefs on 17th August, 2014 with claims of ownership of Babato and non-recognition of the Bolewura and the Chief of Babator.

The Bamboi Koro sought a number of reliefs including the declaration that Babator Kesse stool is a divisional stool of North Mo paramountcy of which the first respondent (Nana Kwaku Dapaah) is President; a declaration that the 1st Respondent (Yakubu Issifu Ali) claim of being the Chief of Babator Kesse is unlawful uncustomarily and against the tradition and usage of the people of Babator and a perpetual injunction restraining the 1st respondent (Yakubu Issifu Ali), his agents and assigns from styling himself as the Chief of Babator Kesse.

The Babatorwura Yakubu Issifu Gbeadese who is recognised by the Bole Traditional Council as the Chief of Babator and the others responded to the petition and said the North Mo itself until 1981 when the Gonja Traditional Council decided to make it a Divisional Area formed part of Gonjaland and Gonja Traditional Council.

Babatorwura Yakubu Issifu Gbeadese and his people denied that Babato is a divisional stool of Noth Mo but instead a sub-skin of Bole paramouncy.

He said say the 1st petitioner (Bamboi koro) is being misled by the contents of LI1528 which did not cede any Gonjaland to North Mo paramouncy and did not also state that Bolewura has no right to enskin Babatowura.

Babatorwura Yakubu Issifu Gbeadese said was duly nominated and enskinned as the Chief of Babato on 18th March, 2006 by Bolewura Amankwa Gbeadese and his Kingmakers upon consultation with the leaders of Babator after which he was also outdoored and presented to the Bolewura.