Paramount Chief of Nandom, Naa Puoure Poube Chiir VII to be buried on April 5

The Nandom Naa, Naa Dr Puoure Poube Chiir VII would be buried on April 5, the Royal Family has announced.

The late Naa served as Paramount Chief of Nandom Traditional Area and President of the Nandom Traditional Council.

According to the Chiir Royal Family, the funeral rites would start on Thursday, April 4 and continue with traditional royal rites on Friday April 5 at the Nandom Naa’s Palace; and final funeral rites to be followed on Saturday April 6 at the St. Theresa’s Basilica, Nandom.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE LATE NAA DR PUOURE PUOBE CHIIR VII (Paramount Chief of the Nandom Traditional Area and President of the Nandom Traditional Council, 1985-2018)

Naa Dr Puoure Puobe Chiir VII, the seventh Paramount Chief of the Nandom Traditional Area, son of Naa Puobe Imoru and great grandson of Naa Chiir; fifth and first Paramount Chiefs of the Nandom Traditional Area respectively, was born on 13th October, 1945 at Nandom in the Upper West Region of Ghana.

He attended the Local Authority and Middle Day schools in Nandom from 1951 to 1958 before proceeding to Government Secondary School in Tamale (Now Tamale Senior High School). At Government Secondary School, he obtained General Certificates of Education, Ordinary Level (1st Division) and Advanced Level

Naa Dr Puoure Puobe Chiir VII was an extremely bright student who won several awards including Second Best Student in French at a National Inter-Secondary Schools French Speaking Competition held at the University of Ghana, Legon, and Second-Best Student in Latin in a competition held at Achimota Secondary School, both in the year 1963. Apart from his academic excellence, he was a disciplined cadet and respected Library Prefect during his sixth Form year.

He went to Italy in 1965 where he undertook undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Economics, Commerce and Administration at the University of Vernice (Ca ‘Foscar’), University of Bologna and Graduate School of AdministrationFaculty of Jurisprudence (S.P.T.A), obtaining a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Economics in 1976.

Naa Dr Puoure Puobe Chiir VII was highly sought after in Italy after his studies and stayed back to work in different capacities until 1985 when he returned home to be enskinned as Nandom Naa. In Italy, he worked as a Business Consultant, among other things in charge of some Italian-Sub-Sahara African ventures such as GIFIEX Italia Group of Companies. He also worked with an Italian Bank-Cassa di’ Risparmio Della Marca Trivigiana, Treviso, Italy (now Gruppo Unicredito Italino Cassamara, Italian Savings Bank).

Prior to working with the Bank, Naa Dr Puoure Puobe Chiir VII worked under Prof. Glampiero Franco as an Assistant Lecturer at the Department of Applied Economics at the University of Venice, Italy. From 1967 to 1969, he served as General Secretary Overseas Students Coordination (OSCO) for Western Europe (U.K, West Germany, Benelux, Italy etc).

Naa Dr Puoure Puobe Chiir VII returned to Ghana in 1985and was enskinned the seventh Paramount Chief of the Nandom Traditional area on 2nd May, 1985. His administration of the traditional area was greatly influenced by his European education and lifestyle. He was frank and blunt irrespective of the audience and firm in standing by the truth. No wonder the dagara phrase “a kpolaania le” meaning (that is the pure truth) is attributed to him.

He was a dynamic and charismatic ruler who projected thegood name of Nandom high and attracted great respect to the traditional area. He was well respected by his subjects and visitors alike across Ghana and globally. He promoted and maintained peace and greatly influenced the development of the traditional area. His Palace was a popular dispute resolution centre for non-criminal disputes among his subjects.

As he very rightly described himself, he was a ‘Modern Chief’, educated, and well-versed in tradition as well as in current politics, and a committed ‘ambassador of development”. He was environmentally conscious, and was probably the first Chief in the Upper West Region to enforce the ban on bush burning for which Nandom is well recognized.

Very significant during his reign, was the introduction of the popular annual post-harvest Kakube Festival in 1989 to promote culture, peace, unity and homecoming for the people of Nandom. The festival provides a platform for cultural, social, economic and political renewal. It has attracted tourists, businesses and scholars to the traditional area. Kakube festival continues to contribute significantly in showcasing the people and traditions of Nandom to the world.

Within the community of Chiefs in the Upper West Region and Ghana at large, he played key leadership roles. Naa Dr Puoure Puobe Chiir VII was a Founding Member of the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs and chaired its Finance & staff committee from 1986 to 2012. He was elected Vice President of the Regional House of Chiefs from 2008 to 2012, and President of the House from 2012 to 2016.

At the National House of Chiefs, he was member of that house from 1989 to 2016, Chairman of Finance and staff Committee from 1992 to 1995 and Member of the Standing Committee for the same period as well as from 2012 to 2016.

He was elected to the high office of Vice President of the National House of Chiefs from 1995 to 2001 and within that period, acted as the President of the National House of Chiefs from 17th March, 1999 to 20th July, 1999, and from 2000 to 2001. Naa Dr Puoure Puobe Chiir VII played prominent roles in public service. He was appointed Member of the Consultative Assembly that drew up the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and elected a Member of the Council of State of the Republic of Ghana representing the Upper West Region from 1994 to 2001.

He Chaired many Boards including the Ghana Forestry Commission from 2000 to 2001,and member from 2014 to 2016, Nandom Hospital Advisory Board and Regional Health Services Committee from 2007 to 2018, and Vice Chairman of Board of Governors of Nandom Secondary School and Nandom Vocational School. He was an active Board Member of the National Desertification Committee from 1999 to 2001, Regional Coordinating Council of Upper West Region from 1993 to 2016, Ghana Ethno-Medical Foundation from 1992 to 1996, Daily Graphic (now Graphic Communications Group) from 1992 to 1993, Regional Social Mobilization Committee on Child Survival and Development from 1987 to 1993, and Nandom Hospital Advisory Board from 1986 to 1998.

Naa Dr Puoure Puobe Chiir VII was an elegant multilingual academic, astute Business Consultant, Banker and Economist, a spirited ruler and a selfless public servant. He had a great love for Chess and numismatics and was a loving father, grandfather and husband to his children, grandchildren and wives.