Gushie installs Naa Bakpem Gbanbunaa as new King

The people of Gushegu have installed a new Gushie Naa to succeed the late King, Gushie Naa Bawa.

At a colourful installation ceremony, other chiefs and queen mothers, as well as traditional leaders from the northern part of the country, were in attendance to offer their support to the new Gushie King and to wish him well.

Naa Bakpem Gbambu-Naa Abdulai, who was installed under the skin name Naa Bakpem Gbanbunaa is one of the contenders of the vacant Gushegu skin in the Gushegu Traditional Area.

He was born into the Mogli Royal Family in 1950 by Gbanbunaa Shitibu who was a direct son of Gushe-Naa Mahamuru, thus qualifying him as a prince in respect of the Gushegu skin.

He was enrolled into Gushegu L/A Primary in 1958.

After his primary school education in 1964, he proceeded to Gushegu L/A Middle School where He obtained his middle school certificate in 1968. He was also privileged enough to have furthered his education at local government college at Saabon Zongo in Accra in 1972.

He had worked with Ghana local government for 42 solid years before he retired from active service in 2010.

He started as a civil servant with the then Gushegu /Cheriponi Local Council as a chief treasury officer from 1968 to 1974 until when he said local council was merged with Yendi local council to form the then East Dagbon district with Yendi as the capital.

He became and had been the chief accounts officer of the said new Distrct until 1988 when Gushegu/Karaga District was carved out of the yendi district which saw him elevated to the enviable position of a substantive district finance officer (DFO) for that newly created Gushegu /Karaga District.

He was later transferred in 1993 to the then East Mampurugu District Assembly in Nalerigu where he had continued with his selfless services to mother Ghana until 2001 when he was transferred back to Gushegu district assembly to prepare for his retirement which eventually happened in 2010.

His quest to actualize his dream of becoming a substantive Gushe Naa started in 1982 when he was enskined by Gushe-Naa Alidu as the chief of Mongula under the skin name Mongul-Lana Ablai.

He had occupied this skin until 1997 when he was elevated to the Gbambu skin which is the highest skin of Gushegu Nabihi by Gushe-Naa Bawa under the skin name, Naa Ba Kpem Gbambu-Naa Ablai.

Amongst all the contenders, traditionally, he is the senior most "candidate."

Meanwhile speaking to chief Naa Tia Salifu, who was also at the ceremony, he indicated that Gushegu will be blessed enough to have Naa Bakpem Gbanbunaa as a successor to Gushe-Naa Bawa whose trump card as a revered traditional ruler was nothing but his formal education.