Ambrose Dery, Minister for the Interior
The family of the late Nakpa Na Salifu Dawuni in the unending chieftaincy dispute in Bimbilla has written to the President, through the Inspector General of Police, to order the release of the body of the late chief for burial.
The letter written by the family head Sagnarigu Na Shani Azumah gave the government and security heads until March 10, to respond to the request to turn over the late chief’s body, which has been kept at the morgue since 2014.
The letter said it hopes government would comply with ease and without any opposition.
Spokesman for the family Adam Fuseini Mustapha confirmed the initiative exclusively to Starr News and said the family request also indicated the late Nakpa Na was to be buried in Bimbilla at his private home as Bimbilla Na.
“The family has written to the authorities concerned to take permission from them to lay the old man to rest. We have written to them and we are giving them up to 10th of next month, not as a day we want to bury but as a day we want to get a feedback from the authorities”.
Adam Fuseini said it would be “unfair” and violence would persist if government turns down the inflammable request.
“If my father has died for over three years now and he is still in the morgue and an ordinary group of persons come out to say that we will not allow this man to be put to rest then in day in-day-out they beat drum and dance, they go out about their normal duties and we understand the drum language so what happens?, I may be able to control myself but not all situation,” Adam told Starr News.
The request is seen as a setback to the roadmap to peace that has been ongoing in the area for some time now.
Divisions were created among members of the Gbugmayili gate after Nakpa Na Salifu Dawuni and Bimbilla Na were both enskinned by different Kingmakers as Bimbilla King. Both contenders died while the matter was being heard by various authorities including the National House of Chiefs.
The matter is currently being heard at the Supreme Court after both the regional and National House Chiefs ruled in favour of the late Naa Dassana. He was however murdered four months after the death of the Nakpa Naa and was buried in Bimbila as Chief of Bimbila.
The family of the late Napka Na has insisted it will bury him in Bimbila contending that he was also enskinned as chief of Bimbilla by legitimate kingmakers of Nanung (Bimbila Na).
When Starr News asked whether the family had pondered over the ramifications of their request, he reacted: “This is what I don’t want to hear! The other contender when he was murdered, at least there was still tension three days four days later he was buried with heavy security. Why can’t we do same? So I don’t understand why they think ours is too much we cannot do it”.
The rival family has responded describing the move as a threat to security, saying they will continue to fiercely resist such attempt. According to its spokesman Osman Kiika, the late Nakpa Na could not be buried in Bimbilla because he was not a king and that he must be buried in Nakpayili where he died as chief.
He said government must act immediately to stop the “lawlessness” because they were ready to protect the heritage of the Bimbila Traditional Council.
“They should continue; if it is killing that is the ruling, then they should continue to kill but I know that we’ll get to the wall; trust me we can be sure about that and that is when Ghanaians will know what the people of Andani are capable of doing. We will not talk; they should continue. Government must do something.”
Earlier Monday the regional minister Salifu Saeed aborted a planned visit to the Bimbilla regent after tensions rose in the township over a rumour that the late Nakpa Na’ family was in preparation towards the burial of the late chief of Nakpayili.
A fortnight ago, more than 10 people were killed and many displaced in a renewed violence allegedly triggered by the regent’s decision to enskin a sub chief.
