The Chereponi District Assembly and traditional authorities in the area are divided over joining the proposed north east region.
While the assembly insists that they want to be part of the proposed new region, the chiefs of the area say they cannot leave the northern region and have petitioned the Gbewaa palace, the regional and national houses of chiefs and the President to keep them out of the new region.
The DCE, Tahidu Abdul Razak told GBC’s Radio Ghana in Tamale that, as an assembly they want to be part of the new region and that, traditional authority can continue to pay allegiance to the Gbewaa Palace in the Northern Region.
“As an administration, we want to part of the north east region, but traditionally no. They should petition the President about their concerns, and they have just done that and I have been copied,” he stated.
The chiefs of the area are however adamant that they want to remain in the northern region.
The chief of Wenchiki in the Chereponi district, Abubakari Awufor, told Radio Ghana that the chiefs of the area feel disrespected.
“When they went to meeting in Bunkpurugu, Tamale and Accra, nobody informed us, we only heard rumours that we have been added to north East, so we will not allow, we want to remain in the northern region,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the Gbewaa Palace has petitioned the President, against adding part of Dagbon lands to any new region.
In a statement copied GBC’s Radio Ghana in Tamale, the Dagbon Traditional Council reminded the President of the resolve by Dagbon and Nanun chiefs to remain in one region.
The statement said, Chereponi is part of Dagbon lands and therefore cannot be added to any new region.
“We pray that the government will listen to our legitimate request and that they will not be seeking to meet the demands of a minority against the legitimate rights of a majority Dagbↄŋ.
The Dagbↄŋ Traditional Council and the good people of Dagbↄŋ will continue to use civil and legitimate means to resist any attempt to balkanize the Dagbↄŋ Kingdom,” the statement said.
Story by Murtala Issah
