Divisional and Sub-Chiefs of the Bolgatanga Traditional Council have approved the Chieftaincy Declaration Forms (CDF) for Naba Awogeya-Lebna Abilba IV, a move that is indicative of declaring their support for him to become the substantive Bolga Naba.
It is a requirement for every rightfully enskinned chief to get the endorsement and loyalty of the members of his Traditional Council, accepting him as their Paramount Chief through the endorsement of the CDF.
When this is done and presented to the Regional House of Chiefs, the House deliberates over the application and subsequently accepts it or rejects it, depending on the substance of the declaration.
In a resolution jointly signed by the 12 Divisional chiefs comprising the Council, its Acting President, Naba Johnson Awuni, and the Acting Registrar, Madam Eugenia Narvee, which was also copied to the Interior Minister and the Minister for Chieftaincy and Culture among other recipients, the Council prayed the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs to expedite action in ensuring that Naba Awogeya-Lebna Abilba IV’s Chieftaincy Declaration Forms were dispatched to the National House of Chiefs for the necessary administrative formalities to be concluded.
The Chiefs indicated: “We participated in the selection and installation of Naba Awogeya-Lebna Abilba IV cognizant of the Judgment of the Judicial Committee of the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs dated 17th February, 1988 on the subject matter and the relevant provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and the Chieftaincy Act 759 of 2008.”
The Chiefs further stated that, “We did, on the 14th of May, 2015, hold a meeting of the whole Council and did consider and approve the Chieftaincy Declaration Forms (CDF) in respect of the installation of Naba Awogeya-Lebna Abilba IV as Bolga Naba which Forms have, since May 18, 2015, been forwarded to the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs and that we are unable and unwilling to approve Chieftaincy Declaration Forms in respect of the purported installation or enskinment of any other individual as Bolga Naba since there cannot be more than one Bolga Naba at a time”.
“We take note of the fact that nature abhors vacuum and urge the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs as well as the National House of Chiefs to act as we have prayed given the strategic position of Bolgatanga not only for the Upper East Region but also for Ghana, our beloved country”, they concluded.
Earlier, the Divisional and Sub-Chiefs had boycotted a meeting which was called by Naba Nonge-Buuri Malitinga, the other contender enskinned by the Nayiri to succeed the late Bolga Naba.
A letter signed by Bertrand Asamannaba, Secretary to Naba Nonge-Buuri Malitinga sought to invite the Chiefs, ostensibly to introduce Naba Nonge-Buuri Malitinga to the members of the House and to discuss issues regarding the Chieftaincy Declaration Forms which the Divisional and Sub-Chiefs were expected to endorse as a declaration of their support for him.
The Bolga Paramount seat became vacant following the death of the Bolga Naba, Martin Adongo Abilba III on September 26, 2013.
Naba Awogeya-Lebna Abilba IV who is the first son of the late Naba Martin Abilba III, was made Regent of the area, until his enskinment recently.
