Dagbon Constitution rejected by National House of Chiefs over concerns from Savanah Chiefs

Representatives from the Savannah Regional House of Chiefs under the National House of Chiefs vehemently opposed the adoption of the revised Dagbon constitution resulting in a deferred adoption of the Constitution which was presented by a delegation from USAiD, Care International, and the National Peace Council.

The above-mentioned associations sought to serve as an administrative framework for the governance of the Dagbon kingdom.

The Paramount Chief of the Kpembe Traditional Area in the Savannah Region, Kpembewura Banbange Ndefeso (IV) raised opposition to its acceptance citing inconsistent land boundaries between the the Gonja Kingdom and Dagbon as stated in the revised constitution.

His rejection was made at a meeting held in Kumasi on October 19, 2023, at the National House of Chiefs.

According to the Kpembewura, accepting the revised constitution without settling the land boundary inconsistencies may brew tension in the future.

Kpembewura read a letter from the Gonjaland Youth Association which called for all inaccuracies in boundary points in the proposed Dagbon Constitution to be resolved.

The Gonjaland Youth Association in a rejoinder letter dated October 16, 2023, has said that the leadership and membership of the Association’s attention has been drawn to some inaccuracies and inconsistencies in the boundary points in a proposed Dagbon Constitution, which is before the National House of Chiefs for consideration and possible adoption.

The Gonjaland Youth Association indicated that; “While commending the drafters of the Dagbon Constitution, we wish to state that some of the provisions in respect of land boundary points as contained in the proposed Constitution are inadvertently making incursions into lands belonging to communities of the Gonja Kingdom. The boundary points in the proposed Dagbon Constitution appear inaccurate and therefore, conflict with the land of Gonja”.

The Association asserted that the territorial extent and boundaries of Dagbon appear grossly inconsistent with available traditional and administrative boundaries that have existed between the Gonja Kingdom and the Dagbon Kingdom over decades and may be a recipe for conflict if allowed by the honourable house.

The Gonjaland Youth Association in their letter vividly marked the correct boundary points between Gonja and Dagbon.

The Gonjaland Youth Association therefore urged the National House of Chiefs to conduct further due diligence by effectively engaging the relevant stakeholders, particularly from the Gonja side, to ascertain the veracity of the claims being made in respect of the existing boundary points between Gonja and Dagbon in the proposed Dagbon Constitution, before its consideration and adoption.

A former Foreign Affairs Minister, Alhaji Muhammed Mumuni who served as a consultant to the committee that reviewed the Dagbon constitution, insisted that boundary issues should not prevent the adoption of the Dagbon Constitution.

He appealed to the house to accept the constitution while the Dagbon and Gonja Kingdoms resolved the said land boundary inconsistencies.

But in an anonymous decision, the National House of Chiefs meeting chaired by the Paramount Chief of the Lawra Traditional Area and Vice President of the House, Naa Puowelle Karbo (III), and the vice president of the National House of Chiefs disagreed.

Speaking to Issah Zakariah Jnr reporting for Bole-based Nkilgi Fm after the meeting, the Paramount Chief of the Kpembe Traditional Area said it is absurd for Dagbon to claim up to the White Volta, and the land from Kusawgu through to Yapei which is the Traditional Area of Gonja.

Kpembewura said the Savannah Regional House of Chiefs is prepared to dialogue with Dagbon over the wrong traditional boundary demarcations in their revised constitution and that anything less than that means the Savannah Regional House of Chiefs will continue to oppose the revised Dagbon Constitution.

The Kpembewura urged the people of Gonjaland to strive to protect Gonjaland.