Historian and lawyer Anokye Frimpong has sharply criticized the Mamprugu Overlord, Nayiri’s rejection of the Bawku mediation report presented by Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. The report, aimed at resolving the long-standing chieftaincy dispute in Bawku, northeastern Ghana, has ended in deadlock after months of dialogue. Frimpong argues that Nayiri’s outright dismissal undermines the entire process.
He pointed out that Nayiri could have opted out on the first day of the mediation at Manhyia Palace if he had no intention of participating. Instead, by engaging for several months, the overlord submitted to the process and should honor its outcome, Frimpong insisted. This rejection, he added, risks prolonging violence and instability in the volatile Bawku region, where clashes between Kusasi and Mamprusi factions have claimed numerous lives.
Frimpong urged President John Dramani Mahama to intervene decisively. When persuasion fails, force must be applied,” he declared, drawing parallels to Ghana’s post-independence history. He referenced Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s era, when the first president employed forceful measures to resolve a similar tribal chieftaincy conflict involving a specific ethnic group, ultimately restoring order.
The Bawku dispute, rooted in competing claims to the skin, has defied multiple mediation attempts, exacerbating ethnic tensions and security challenges. Frimpong’s comments come amid heightened calls for government action, as stakeholders warn that inaction could fuel further unrest ahead of the holidays.
Source: Ohemaa Adusi-Poku