Gonja Kingdom at crossroads; need to come together to overcome challenges - Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto

The King and Overlord of the Gonja Kingdom and President of the Gonja Traditional Council, Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Jewu Soale (I) on the 12th of June, 2023 during an extraordinary meeting of the Gonja Traditional Council held in Damongo, the capital town of the West Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region said the Yagbon (Gonja) Kingdom is at crossroads and at this critical moment of time the is a need to come together and work assiduously as one unit to overcome the numerous challenges that the Kingdom is confronted with.

The Overlord of Gonja Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Jewu Soale (I) in his speech read by Jantonwura Peter Awusi Yakubu (Secretary to the Paramount Chief of the Wasipe Traditional Area) on the first day of the two-day Council meeting expressed his profound gratitude to all those who contributed in diverse ways to support the Kingdom during the funeral of the late King, Jira Professor Tuntumba Boresa (I) and subsequently his enskinment and outdooring as the new Yagbonwura.

The Yagbonwura called for unity among the rank and file, noting that it is worthy to point out certain diversions of the Gonja customs and traditions during his Enskinment and Outdooring process.

He said it is part of the custom and tradition that immediately after the Enskinment at Nyange, all the chiefs, especially the Sons and B’gbonpo present follow the new Yagbonwura to make whistle stops at both Jintelpe and Larabanga for certain rites and prayers to be offered before the new King moves to Damongo because it was sad that all the chiefs deserted and left him alone with some few other people to perform these rites.

“Is that a new norm or that’s what I deserve?” Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto (I)”, he asked.

According to Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto (I), he was patiently waiting to receive them at his private residence but none of them showed up before leaving Damongo and there was no communication whatsoever.

Again, after the outdooring, all the sons present were to escort him Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto (I) home before they all could go back to their destinations. Sadly, on the outdooring day, all sons and other chiefs left the grounds even before he could lift up himself from the skins.

Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto (I) disclosed that, three days ago, he received a comprehensive report from the Yagbonwura Enskinment Committee chairman in the person of Dr. Abu Sakara and was shocked that there was no contribution or donation from the chiefs given to the committee and no one has also accounted for the donations of cows, foodstuff and money that came from the various chiefs in Yagbon.

“As I sit here today, no one from the traditional council has briefed me or handed over to me anything including assets and liabilities of the Kingdom”; he disclosed.

“The question that needs to be answered is, is that the norm or tradition?”; added Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto (I).

The Gonja Overlord said; “If we continue on this path, how would our sons and grandsons learn and know our beautiful culture and tradition?”

Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto (I) indicated that the Kingdom is bedeviled with numerous chieftaincy issues which need to be resolved amicably for peace and development. The Damongo chieftaincy crisis which has needs to be settled once and for all for a smooth administration. He urges both factions to give peace a chance when the final verdict is out, for it is God that makes Kings.

Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto (I) implored the youth to be united and bring out innovative ideas to support our Kingdom so that we can collectively develop the Kingdom and create more opportunities for the young ones”.

Some decisions taken at the Gonja Traditional Council meeting that can be made public include the Deber (Mpaha & Kpabuso) Chief Imam issue which after a lengthy deliberation was judged in favour of Sakpares (a Gonja Muslim clan). Yagbonwura pronounced the leader of the Sakpares of Deber Alhaji Iddrisu as the Chief Imam of the Deber Traditional Area.

On Social media commentaries and its effects members of the Council condemned how the youth now abuse social media. They said social media should be used for positive information not negative.

An agenda that was discussed was the orientation of Yagbonwura after his enskinment and on this, a member of the Council and Chief of Choru (Jang) Choruwura Dramani Kabasagaya presented a letter that was read to members of the Council. The letter among other issues said the introduction of Vice- President position into the Gonja Tradition should be abolished.

He added that during the coronation of Yagbonwura, he did not see the traditional order of sitting which must be strictly adhered to because it shows the hierarchy of Chiefs in the Gonja Kingdom. Traditionally, Sonyowura is next to Yagbonwura and that must stay.

Discussing the state of the Jakpa Palace and the way forward, it was decided that all Paramountcies should be as well as selected businesses and some stakeholders be levied.

The second sitting of the Gonja Traditional Council continues on Tuesday 13th June 2023.

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