Nanfuri outdoored Paramount Chief of Jirapa

Jirapa (UWR), April 29, GNA - Mr. Peter Tenganabang Nanfuri, former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), was on Saturday outdoored as the Paramount Chief of the Jirapa Traditional Area with the skin name, Naa Ansoleh Ganaa II.

Naa Ganaa, who is the grandson of the first Chief of Jirapa, Naa Ansoleh Ganaa and the fourth paramount chief of the area, was born on October 12, 1942 at Jirapa in the Upper West Region.


He is also the second former IGP from the North after Mr. Bawa Andani Yakubu to be enskinned.


Naa Ganaa, who is an alumnus of the University of Ghana, Legon and holds a BA degree in Political Science and a Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree also trained in various capacities in investigative and intelligence techniques in USA and Russia.


The Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, who was the guest of honour at the ceremony, on behalf of President John Agyekum Kufuor and the government congratulated Naa Ganaa on his enskinment. Alhaji Mahama described Naa Ganaa as a disciplined, principled, generous and humorous gentleman during his school days at Tamale Secondary School, qualities, which enabled him to progress and excel in his career in the Police Service.


"Naa Ganaa, who was also a Deputy Director of the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI), distinguished himself as one of the most brilliant security officers this country ever produced", he said, adding that, "He bequeathed an unparalleled legacy of discipline, honesty, hard work and patriotism to the Ghana Police Service".

Alhaji Mahama expressed concern about the numerous chieftaincy disputes in the country, some of which had resulted in the loss of lives and property impeding development He urged chiefs and kingmakers to work together to redeem the dented image of the chieftaincy institution by ensuring that only the right people were selected to occupy the various stools and skins to help minimize litigations and disputes. He commended the Jirapa Traditional Council for the successfully enskinment of Naa Ganaa and urged them to use the same wisdom to select people to occupy the remaining vacant skins in the area to bring peace and unity to enhance development. Alhaji Mahama called on the chiefs and people of the area to rally behind the government to enhance development to improve their living conditions.


He also called on them to endeavour to achieve gender equity and fight against sexual immorality to help reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS in the traditional area.


Naa Ganaa said he would work with the chiefs and people to make the area conducive to retain and attract sons and daughters back to the area. "Civic awareness among my people would be vigorously practiced", he said, adding, "I intend to set up a system whereby my chiefs will be well informed of government policies".


Naa Ganaa said traditional and cultural practices that were inimical to the people and the environment; such uncontrolled setting of bush fires, cutting down of economic trees and hunting would be discouraged.


"I will encourage each village and hamlet to replant trees of economic values, such as mangoes, guavas, ache apple, cashew and pawpaw. I will also set hunting seasons to allow for repopulation of the wildlife we have lost in the traditional area", he said.

He said he would establish units to be headed by chiefs and headmen to go from door to door to enforce the educational policy by ensuring that all children of school going age were enrolled.


He said the chiefs would assist the Ghana Education Service (GES) to ensure


that teachers in their communities were punctual. The best schools and teachers would be rewarded based on performance at the Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) to enhance teaching and learning. Naa Ganaa said he would reintroduce the practices of his forefathers in implementing communal digging and dredging of new and existing dams to provide water for irrigation, animals and dry season gardening. This, he said, would help provide the nutritional needs of the people and reduce


migration of the youth to southern Ghana to look for white colour jobs. Political party representatives, District Chief Executives, MPs, Chiefs from the Northern, Upper West and Upper East Regions as well Regional Police Commanders from the Upper East, Northern and Volta Regions attended the ceremony.