Mamprusis accuse Gov’t of bias

Mamprusis in Bawku in the Upper East region have accused the Government of bias against them as far as the age-old tension between them and their neighbouring Kusasis is concerned.

“It is on record that the Government has been denying the Mamprusis their rights and liberties to practice their cultural festival as enshrined in Article 26 (1) of the 1992 Constitution since 2010.

“…We wish to call upon the central Government to see the Mamprusis and Kusasis as true citizens of Ghana and give equal treatment to all,” Abubakar Sadik Gumah, Spokesperson of the Mamprusi youth group said at a press conference on Tuesday.

“If you permit the Kusasis to observe the Samanpiid festival, also permit the Mamprusis to observe the Damba festival,” the group demanded.

“This single move will go a long way to promote and improve our quest to restore peace in the municipality. Any other move contrary to this will only deepen the mistrust and disunity and send us far away from the peace we are yearning to obtain,” the Mamprusi group warned.

“The only move we should pursue to be able to restore peace to Bawku is for the Government to give equal treatment and recognition to both to both factions,” Gumah emphasised.

The Kusasis recently celebrated the Samanpiid festival in the volatile Bawku Municipality, which has seen recurrent skirmishes with their Mamprusi neighbours in a long-drawn chieftaincy and inter-ethnic strife.

President John Mahama graced the festival at the weekend and used the opportunity to appeal to the Mamprusi representatives on the Bawku inter-ethnic peace committee to rejoin deliberations for peace, harmony and development in the area.

The Mamprusi representatives withdrew from the peace talks due to the Municipal Security Council's inability to offer them the opportunity to celebrate the Damba festival.

Despite the President’s appeal, the Mamprusi group has served notice that it will not return to mediation talks unless they are given the right to celebrate the Damba festival in the same manner that the Kusasis were allowed to celebrate the Samanpiid festival.