Savannah Region launches campaign to end chieftaincy conflicts

The Savannah Regional Coordinating Council (SRCC) has launched a campaign to purge the newly created region of chieftaincy conflicts to ensure accelerated development.

As part of the resolve by the council, a collaboration with a five-member committee of eminent Gonja Chiefs, constituted by the President of the Gonja Traditional Council, Yagbonwura Tuntumba Boresa I, has helped to resolve a chieftaincy dispute in the Sonyor Traditional Area in the Bole District.

The Savannah Regional Minister, Mr Salifu Adam Braimah, entreated the committee, chaired by the Buipewura, Abudulai Jinapor II, to direct their efforts to resolve similar conflicts in other parts of the region.

The minister announced this when he paid a working visit to Sonyor to interact with the chiefs and people of the area last Friday following the peaceful resolution of the dispute.

Mr Braimah mentioned Damongo, Bole, Kafaba, Kablima, Mankango as some of the areas where the committee’s work should focus on, and called on the chiefs and people in those areas to emulate the example of the people of Sonyor.

The Sonyor dispute was between two rival chiefs, Amadu Bakari Kanyiti and Saaka Be-Awurbe. Even though, both of them claimed legitimacy to the Sonyor Skin, the committee arrived at a decision that Amadu Bakari Kanyiti was the legitimate Sonyorwura.

The dispute started in 2012 after the demise of Sonyorwura Serichi Seidu Kipo.

Meeting

The committee earlier announced the outcome of its deliberations at a meeting attended by the two factions at Damongo, the regional capital.
Chief Be-Awurbe is said to have accepted the outcome of the mediation and pledged to rally behind Sonyorwura Amadu Bakari Kanyiti to ensure lasting peace and development of the area.

The Savannah Region, which was carved out of the Northern Region, is plagued with a lot of chieftaincy disputes, which if not resolved, could slow down the pace of development in the area.

Mr Braimah, who paid a courtesy call on the Sonyorwura, stated that one of the priority areas of his administration was to work closely with traditional authorities and all other stakeholders to make the new region free of chieftaincy conflicts.

Commendation

Mr Braimah congratulated the chiefs and people of Sonyor, particularly Chief Be-Awurbe, now the Kunkuniwura, on embracing a peaceful resolution to the protracted dispute while commending members of the committee for their untiring efforts.

The minister emphasised the important role peace played in development, and asked all factions in chieftaincy disputes in the area to embrace peace.

For his part, the Sonyorwura praised Mr Braimah and his team for calling on him and appealed to the minister as a matter of urgency to help in the construction of the Bole-Sonyor road, since that had been a major source of worry to his people.

Chief Kanyiti also appealed to the minister to help address their telecommunication network challenges.