The Nayiri, Overlord of the Mamprugu Traditional Area, Naa Bohugu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga, has formally rejected the peace plan by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II declaring the process illegitimate and its conclusions unacceptable.
In a 26-numbered statement released on December 17, 2025, by the Mamprugu Traditional Council, the King dissociated himself and his people from the document, which was presented to President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday.
He described the report as a “procedurally flawed” and “unilaterally imposed” judgment that strayed far from agreed mediation principles.
The King stated that the Asantehene, who had defined his role strictly as a mediator, overstepped by making final determinations and prescribing enforceable measures, an act he called inconsistent with mediation.
According to his statement, despite requests, no formal Terms of Reference were established for the process, leaving it without a mutually agreed framework.
Again, he noted that the parties involved were denied the opportunity to review, comment on, or respond to the conclusions before they were finalized and presented as a binding report.
The Nayiri labelled the report “replete with factual inaccuracies” and argued it displayed a “manifest imbalance,” privileging one side’s narrative while omitting the substantive case presented by Mamprugu.
The Overlord explicitly denied a key assertion in the report, calling it “entirely false” that he agreed to the continued recognition of Aninchema as Bawku Naba.
He, therefore, expressed profound alarm at reports that President Mahama intended to issue a definitive government position within 24 hours based solely on this document.
“Such an approach, respectfully, will not advance the peace we all seek,” the Nayiri cautioned, urging full consultation with all stakeholders before any action.
Asserting the irrevocable position of Mamprugu, the King declared: “Not even an inch of Mamprugu’s ancestral heritage will be ceded to anyone, especially through an unjust and clearly orchestrated process.”
He emphasized that the talks had reached a “clear DEADLOCK” with no consensus. Under Ghana’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Act (2010), he argued, any report should have formally recorded this deadlock rather than presenting contested recommendations as final.
Concluding his statement, the Nayiri reaffirmed his dedication to peace but stressed that lasting stability must be rooted in fairness.
“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,” he stated.
The Overlord promised to engage further with both the Asantehene and the Government and indicated that a more comprehensive statement would follow.
The Bawku chieftaincy conflict, a decades-long dispute primarily between the Kusasi and Mamprusi ethnic groups over traditional authority, remains a volatile flashpoint in the Upper East Region.
