Take cognisance of Northern Region’s ethnic diversity — Yagbonwura
The President of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs, Yagbonwura Tuntumba Borisa , has urged the Commission of Enquiry into the creation of new regions to tread cautiously and take cognisance of the region’s ethnic diversity to ensure that the act of creating new regions do not lead to the loss of lands and other properties of the chiefs and people of the region.
He said though the demand for the creation of the new regions would bring governance closer to the people and accelerate development, there have been concerns expressed by some traditional areas which bordered on chieftaincy and land ownership which needed to be taken into consideration.
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“It is always difficult to break ties with people you have shared a social bond with. Some of the concerns raised by some traditional areas bordered on chieftaincy and land ownership, but I wish to state that the regional boundaries would not be coterminous to traditional boundaries, those who pay allegiance to their chiefs will continue to pay their allegiance even if their chiefs happen to be in different region”, he stated.
Interaction with Regional House of Chiefs
Yagbonwura Tuntumba Borisa said this in a speech read on his behalf by the Paramount Chief of the Buipe Traditional Area, Buipewura Mahama Jinapor, when the commission members paid a courtesy call on the Northern Regional House of Chiefs to seek their views on the demand for the creation of new regions out of the Northern Region in Tamale on Monday.
The commission started hearings in the Northern Region on Monday, March 12 and Tuesday, March 20 in the Gonja and Mamprugu Traditional areas where petitions have been received for the creation of the proposed Savannah and the North East regions, respectively.
Yagbonwura Jinapor, who is the Overload of Gonjaland, said the commission had so far demonstrated its neutrality in the process and the chiefs of the region would cooperate with the commission to ensure the success of the exercise.
He stressed that the creation of new regions should not be a subject of violence, adding that anyone with grievances should channel them through the commission for redress.