Tension Mounts In Wasipe Traditional Area As Gonjaland Youth Association Call for Peace

The National Executives of the Gonjaland Youth Association have expressed strong disapproval about the rising tension and chieftaincy disputes between the Tampulma ethnic group and people of Wasipe Traditional Area. 

Since last week, the Wasipe Traditional Area in the North Gonja District of the Northern Region has seen little or no peace following an open attempt by one Musah Mahamadu to create a different paramountcy in the same Wasipe Traditional Area. 

This has triggered serious tension between the Tampulma people believed to be settlers in Wasipe and the royals of Wasipe, indigenes of the land. 

The said Musah Mahamadu is now carrying himself as “Kadichari-tina” Musah Mahamadu II, a chieftaincy titled believed to have been used by his forefathers several centuries ago. The title was squashed by the founder of Gonja Kingdom, Ndewura Jakpa when the Tampulmas were brought to settle in Gonjaland. Last Saturday, some angry youth of Daboya launched a reprisal attack on some youth of Tampulma for assaulting and seizing motorbikes belonging to some elders in the area.

However, the National Executives of the Gonjaland Youth Association led by the National President, Alhassan Dramani have therefore initiated peace talks with the two feuding groups. 

The group first met with the Paramount Chief of Wasipe Traditional Area, Wasipewura Anyami Kabasagya II and his sub chiefs and pleaded with them to resort to dialogue with the Tampulmas so as to ensure an amicable solution to the problem. 

Speaking in an interview with Savannahnews in Tamale, the General Secretary of the Gonjaland Youth Association, Adams A. Mohammed said that the executives were yet to fix a date within this week to meet with Musah Mahamadu the perceived self-styled Tampulma chief and his followers.

He said that the Wasipewura and his elders had promised them nothing but peace and assured that he would do whatever he could to find a common ground to settle the dispute with the Tampulmas.

But the difficulty the Association is likely to face is about how to meet with the Tampulmas since some other group believed to be the followers of the recognized leader of the Tampulmas in the Gonja Traditional Council, Tampulim Naa Lawal are also opposing strongly to the move by Musah Mahamadu to create a paramountcy for himself.

Paramount Chief of Wasipe Traditional Area

According to Mr. Adams Mohammed, Gonjas had always lived peacefully with the numerous tribes in the area and therefore wished that the Paramount Chief of Wasipe and for that matter the Overlord of Gonjaland, the Yagbonwura Tuntumba Bore Essa would find amicable solution to the problem before it got out of hand.

He indicated that all the other tribes in Gonjaland had become one because majority of them had inter-married and do so many things in common.

He said that the Gonjaland Youth Association Executives had also informally discussed with the District Chief Executive and Chairman of the District Security Committee for North Gonja, Sokko Yahooza to ensure maximum security in the area.

The Wasipewura and several of his sub-chiefs including Gabasiwura Iddrisu Jakpa, Danbol Kakore Yazeriwura, Kunkoriwura Ewuntoma Kotoma and Nbonwura Akati Dramani last a last week held a counter press conference in Daboya and issued a strong warning to Musah Mahamadu to refrain from causing tension in the area. The Chief through his Secretary, Amadu Muazu said that the said Musah Mahamadu was not and does not qualify to be a leader of the Tampulma ethnic group of North Gonja District. 

But the Tampulmas in an earlier Press Conference in Tamale addressed by one Amadu Latif, threatened Court action against the Gonja Traditional Council chaired by the Yagbonwura Tuntumba Bore Essa for failing to recognize the Tampulmas as citizens of Gonjaland. 

They also threatened a street protest ahead of the court action to back their demand for recognition. He said that their demand for a paramountcy was to get the needed identity for the Tampulmas as a sovereign ethnic group in Ghana and not as an extension or part of any other ethnic group.