Overlord of Dadgon His Majesty Ndan Ya-Na has clarified that Tamale Dakpema Bawa Fuseini is not a recognized chief within the traditional system of Dagbon but a Fetish Priest otherwise known as a “Tindana”.
According to Ndan Ya-Na Abubakari Mahama II Naa Yaba Gulkpe Naa is the Paramount Chief of the Gulkpegu Traditional Area and is in charge of the Greater Tamale Metropolis and serve as the official representative of His Majesty Ndan Ya-Na in Tamale.
It will be recalled that Diamondfmonline.com on January 29, 2022 reported about the seeming confusion between some Paramount Chiefs and the Tamale Dakpema over the later holding himself publicly as the paramount Chief of Tamale.
At a press conference addressed by Secretary to the Gulkpegu Naa, Mohammed Rashad, the Chiefs said the Tamale Dakpema was not a member of both the Dagbon Traditional Council and the Northern Regional House of Chiefs hence, he cannot hold himself as Paramount Chief of Tamale.
The Dakpema Bawa Fuseini, at a public event at his palace on February 13, 2022 however revealed that, the “Tamale Dakpema is not a Tindaan Kpiegu but rather Tindaan Gban-Yara, and therefore does not fall under any chief within the Tamale traditional area.
He further explained that, “the Tindaan Gban-Yara is a landed chief with his subjects while the Tindaan Kpiegu is a Tindana under the name of supervision of another chief”.
But the Ya-Na in a letter addressed to the Mayor of Tamale and intercepted by Diamond FM, indicated that, “the present confusion is arising from the fact that some- of the role players in the Traditional System have deliberately assumed roles that, by Dagbon custom, they are not supposed to play. The Tamale Dakpema is particularly guilty of this and it is surprising because he knows the truth”.
Read below the letter from the Ya-Na to the Metropolitan Chief Executive of Tamale.
RE: REQUEST FOR CLATUFICATION ON THE POSITIONS OF TRADITIONAL LEADERS IN TAMALE
I am directed by His Majesty Ndan Ya-Na Abukari Il, the Overlord of Dagbon. and President of Dagbon Traditional Council, to refer to your letter AB87/87/01/186 dated 1 st February, 2022 on the above subject:
His Majesty Ndan Ya-Na js deeply concerned about the glaring but needless confusion jin the Tamale area particularly between Naa Yab’a Gulkpe Naa and Tamale Dakpema on the one hand and also between Tamale Dakpema and Tamale Buglana (both Tindaanima) on the other hand. It is particularly worrying that this is happening because there are clear-cut roles associated with all positions in the Kingdom which all chiefs and other Traditional Officeholders, including Tindaanima, are conversant with.
His Majesty Ndan Ya-Na has directed me to inform you that Naa Yaba Gulkpe Naa is the
Paramount Chief of the Gulkpegu Traditional Area and in charge of the Greater Tamale Metropolis. He is the official representative of His Mjesty Ndan Ya-Na in Tamale. The present confusion is arising from the fact that some of the role players in the Traditional System have deliberately assumed roles that, by Dagbon custom, they are not supposed to play. The Tamale Dakpema is particularly guilty of this and it is surprising because he knows the truth. He is not a chief but a Tjndana (Fetish Priest).
In a letter dated 3rd June, 2010, Naa Yab’a Kuga Naa, responding to a request made by the Honorable Northern Regional Minister to the acting President of the Dagbon Traditional Council, after consulting the present Dakpema’s predecessor and others, reported as follows among other things:
Both the Buglanq and the Dakpema confirmed that they are fetish priests.
The Dakpema is not a chief and should not be treated as such. He may not be invited to public functions involving chiefs unless for the purposes of performing his traditional functions as a fetish priest.
The Dakpema should not use two talking drums at his palace.
The Dakpema is granted the use of talking drums and tom-toms.
These five declarations were communicated by the Kuga Naa to the Honourable Regional Minister and copied to the present Dakpema’s predecessor.
The Dakpema is, as stated above, a fetish priest within Tamale alongside other Tindaanima and it is an affront to chieftaincy in Dagbon for him to assume a chiefly role and allow himself to be referred to as Paramount Chief of “Tamale Traditional Area”. There js no area in Dagbon known as Tamale Traditional Area. In Dagbon paramountcy is granted by Ndan Ya-Na and confirmed by taw through a process ‘involving the Traditional Council, Regional and National Houses of Chiefs and the Parliament of Ghana. Ndan Ya-Na grants paramountcy only on chiefs not on fetish priests (Tindaanima). The Tamale Dakpema js a son of Tamale Buglana’s daughter and his primary responsibility ‘in our customs and traditions is the collection of Tamale market tolls or fines and other duties assigned him by Tamale Buglana.
In the light of the above, he is not entitled to perform the following functions:
Playing of talking drums including playing of the traditional “gingaani” and “biegu naayo”o
Referring to himself as chief of Tamale. All sign posts bearing such name should be removed.
May not be invited to public functions involving chiefs unless for the purposes of performing his traditional functions as a fetish priest.
Many people including senior Traditional Rulers were misled in the past about Tamale Dakpema’s status. The authority of Naa Yab/a Gulkpe Naa as the Head of the Greater Gulkpegu Traditional Area, in which Tamale is an Inseparable part, was confirmed during the “Conference of Dagbamba (Dagomba) Chiefs Held at Yendi From The 21 st To The 29th November, 1930, To Enquire Into And Record The Constitution Of The Status Of Dagbon.// This conference was organized by the then Provincial Commissioner, Southern Province, Northern Territories, A Duncan- Johnstone and was attended by YaNa Abdulai Il and all his Divisional Chiefs and over hundred Sub-Divisional Chiefs in Dagbon.
In this conference, Naa Yab’a Gulkpe Naa was referred to as the Elder in charge of Gulkpeogu (Tamale Division) and Tamale Dakpema as the Elder in charge of the Tamale market.
The Wulshe-Na, officially representing the Dakpema of Tamale at the conference, stated that whoever said that the Tamale Dakpema did not follow the Ndan Ya-Na through Naa Yab’a Gulkpe-Na and that Naa Yab’a Gulkpe Na was not the senior chief in the Gulkpeogu Division, was liar.
Gulkpegu, under Naa Yaba Gulkpe Naa has been a Divisional chiefdom since the colonial times. This status remained unchanged after ‘independence, until Gulkpegu alongside some other Divisional chiefdoms, was elevated to the status of paramountcy a few years ago, and Gulkpe-Naa becoming a Paramount Chief under the Overlord of Dagbon.
So, the status of Gulkpegu Division and the Gulkpe-Naa as the paramount chief of the former has not changed neither has that of the Tamale Dakema as a Fetish Priest and an Elder in charge of the Tamale market toll/fine collection changed.
For the sake of peace in the metropolis and Gulkpegu Traditional Area, the Overlord and King of Dagbong would want you to treat the Gulkpe-Naa according to his status as the representative of the King of Dagbon Traditional Area. As such all correspondences and visits to the traditional authority should be directed to him.
The King and Overlord of Dagbon extends his felicitations to you,
The President Dagbang Traditional Council
Naa Yab’ Kuga-Naa
Naa Adam Abdulai Il.
Naa Yaba Gulkpe Naa Gulkpe-Naa’s Palace Gulkpegu-Tamale.
The Tamale Dakpema Tamale Dakpemats Palace Tamale.
The Chairman Regional Security Council Northern Region—TamaIe.
The Chairman Municipal Security Council Sagnarigu.
The Registrar
Northern Region House of Chiefs
Tamale
The Chairman Northern Regional Peace Council Tamale.
All Chiefs, Dagbon Traditional Area.
Source: diamondfmonline.com
1 comment
Great to see the records being set straight for once. This move by the Yaa Naa to make this clarification is very bold and long overdue.
Anybody who has read the history of “Dagbang” knows that the Dakpema is not traditionally the Paramount chief of the Tamale metropolis but the Gulkpenaa instead.