The Overlord of the Mamprugu traditional area, Nayiri,Naa Bohagu Mahami Abdulai Shariga, has rejected the mediation report presented by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, regarding the Bawku chieftaincy dispute.
In a statement on Wednesday, December 17, the Nayiri expressed profound disappointment and grave concern, stating that the report does not reflect his engagements with Otumfuo or those of his mediation team.
The Nayiri cited several reasons for rejecting the report, including the lack of terms of reference for the mediation process, the mediator’s assumption of an adjudicative role, and the failure to allow parties to comment on the conclusions reached.
”The recommendations contained in that report therefore amount to a unilateral determination imposed without due process, in clear violation of the audi alteram partem principle and the foundational rules of natural justice” he added.
He also described the report as “procedurally flawed, legally unsustainable, and wholly unacceptable” to him and the Mamprugu people.
The Mamprugu Overlord further emphasised that the report contains factual inaccuracies, personal assertions, and an imbalance in favour of one party’s narrative, while omitting Mamprugu’s case.
Consequently, Naa Bohagu denied agreeing to the continued recognition of Aninchema as Bawku Naba and expressed alarm at the President’s intention to issue a definitive position based on the report.
The Mamprugu King has therefore urged President John Dramani Mahama to engage fully with all parties and the mediator before taking action, stressing that peace cannot be built on injustice.
He reaffirmed his commitment to peace, dialogue, and stability in Bawku and the wider Mamprugu area but insisted that any resolution must respect historical foundations, constitutional norms, and traditional authorities’ dignity.
”I remain fully committed to peace, dialogue, and stability in Bawku and the wider Mamprugu area. However, peace must be founded on law, history, fairness, and consent, not on imposed outcomes or procedurally defective processes,” he asserted.
