The National House of Chiefs has deferred the adoption of a revised Dagbon Constitution which aims at improving chieftaincy and land management in the Dagbonland.
The decision by the House comes after some chiefs opposed certain aspects of the revised constitution that has to do with territorial boundaries.
As part of efforts to consolidate the peace and reconciliation of Dagbon after nearly forty years of turmoil, the overlord of Dagbon, Ya Na Abukari set up the Dagbon Constitutional Review Committee to review the Dagbon constitution which was said to have outlived its usefulness since the last review in 1930 and contributed to a series of chieftaincy succession disputes and land disputes in the area.
The revised constitution provides clear succession paths to all the skins in Dagbon.
Presenting the revised Dagbon constitution to the National House of Chiefs for adoption, some chiefs opposed to the adoption citing territorial boundary dispute between Dagbon and Gonjaland.
“Whiles commending the draft of the Dagbon Constitution, we wish to state that some of the enactments are inconsistently covering some lands and communities in the Gonja Kingdom in the drafted Dagbon constitution which appear inaccurate. These boundaries are inconsistent with available traditional and administrative boundaries that have existed between Gonja Kingdom and Dagbon kingdom over decades. It may be a recipe for conflict if allowed by this honorable house,” Paramount chief of the Kpembe Traditional Area, Kpembiwura Banbange Ndefeso IV noted.
Consultant for the revised constitution, Mohammed Mumuni, appealed to the House to accept the constitution whiles the Dagbon and Gonja Kingdoms resolve the said land boundary inconsistencies.
After some deliberations, the House unanimously deferred the adoption of the revised constitution.
“It is clear that the issue of territorial boundaries is going to be problematic and the Dagbon Constitution review has even acknowledged it. The National House of Chiefs is currently aware that a number of protest petitions have been received so it is the view of the House that, yes, Dagbon, you have done a very good job and we think that we should support it but at the moment I know that some of these petitions have come to you so the national house has decided that you should go back and have some consultation with those involved and come back and the national house will approve it,” Vice President of the House, Naa Puowele Karbo III stated.
The delegation for the revised Dagbon constitution, even though, were not happy with the decision said they will return to the House for approval after the land differences have been clarified.
The delegation were from USAiD, Care International and the National Peace Council.
By Issah Zakariah|AkomaFM|Onuaonline.com
