Re-structure the Northern Region – House of Chiefs

The Yagbonwura Tuntumba Bore Essa I, President of the Northern Region House of Chiefs, has called for the re-structuring of the Northern Region into manageable units to ensure effective administration.

He said some of the challenges facing the region were attributable to its large size, coupled with the lack of infrastructure, which posed daunting administrative difficulties.

Yagbonwura Tuntumba Bore Essa I said the creation of a region or regions out of the Northern Region should take into consideration the diverse ethnic groups as well as people’s fears that the re-structuring will alienate them and lead to loss of lands which are the treasured possessions of the chiefs and the people.

He said this in a speech read on his behalf at the first general meeting of the House of Chiefs for the year 2017 aimed at deliberating on pertinent issues affecting the region and to find solutions to some problems in the area.

The advocacy for the creation of Regional and National Houses of Queen Mothers and women groups in the country has led to the decision to include queen mothers in the Regional and National Houses of Chiefs

Chiefs who did not have queen mothers were, therefore, advised to enskin them in view of the recent development of the inclusion of queen mothers and women chiefs into the National and Regional Houses of Chiefs.

Each Regional House was to have five queen mothers out which two were to be elected to the represent the region at the National House of Chiefs, after the Chieftaincy Act and Constitution of the Houses of Chiefs had been amended to suit the purpose.

Mr Salifu Saeed, the Northern Regional Minister, in a speech read on his behalf, urged the chiefs to continue maintaining peace in their respective jurisdictions because it was through peace that development in the region could be attained.

He said government would continue to stay out of chieftaincy matters and support the House of Chiefs to develop the region and expressed the hope that the House of Chiefs would resolve these issues by negotiating with warring factions and also liaising with the Regional Security Council.

Mr Saeed called on the chiefs to support to the Commission of Enquiry to create a new region to reduce the burden of administration.