PRESS STATEMENT: THE ELEVATION OF NANIIK TO PARAMOUNTCY AND THE DISAGREEMENT FROM THE TAMOUNG CLAN IN BIMBAGU
PRESS STATEMENT
THE ELEVATION OF NANIIK TO PARAMOUNTCY AND THEDISAGREEMENT FROM THE TAMOUNG CLAN IN BIMBAGU
My attention has been drawn to a news item widely circulated and published by some Media Houses including joynewsonline, TV 3 and Opera News dated 15th August, 2024 with two captions:
“Tensions mounts in Bimbagu as residents oppose elevation of a sub-chief”. And
“Bimbagu residents protest against promotion of sub-chiefs”.
The story was carried through a Press Conference held by some disgruntled youth of the Tamoung Clan in Bimbagu. In their Press Conference the youth mentioned my name and stated categorically that I am the one orchestrating and leading the process for the Naniik Naba to be elevated as the Paramount Chief of Naniik and went ahead to peddle falsehoods and twisting acts and history in the area.
To begin with, I am not a native of Yunyoo as the disgruntled youth claimed, but I am a full-blooded Bimoba from the Naniik clan and lives in Jimbale. It might interest you to know that my mother Tanjong comes from Tamoung clan being the daughter of Nabat Laar (deceased) and Madow daughter of Saloa from the Nandook clan both in Bimbagu. Nabat Laar and Nabat Mogtiri were from the same father, Nabat but from different mothers.
My father was Bokin Laar Konlan Bauk popularly known as Chan Bauk from the Naniik clan who was very instrumental in the enskinment of both the first and second chief of Naniik clan, Naniik Naba Napot Konlan in 1953 and Naniik Naba Kamojual Lambon in the 1970s respectfully. So in fact, some of the people in the Tamoung clan in Bimbagu are my direct maternal cousins. I know one Abraham Saman Dubik who is a grandson of Nabat Mogtiri and so I am surprised that they are claiming that I am a native of Yunyoo which implies that I am a Mamprusi.
These same people (Tamoung Clan) are the cause of all the conflicts in the area and in fact they fought with most of the tribes and clans. Today, they are threatening the peace of the area again. Let me state emphatically that, the Tamoung clan don’t own any land in Naniik. Even though some of them numbering a few houses are settlers living in the Naniik clan lands, their claims in their press statement that they are superior to the Naniik clan are palpable lies and history does not support that. In fact, let me re-emphasize that the Tamoung clansmen are our Tenants occupying Naniik clan farm lands in Naniik. We allowed them into our lands to farm and later on they started building for settlement. So we them as our tenants who should owe allegiance to us. They cannot claim that they are independent of the Naniik Paramountcy.
We do not share any boundary with Bagri Daana. The Bagri Daana, the supposed Chief of Tamoung Clan who claims to be chief of Bimbagu is technically a sub-chief to the Konkomba Chief, Bimbagu Rana, who owns all the lands in Bimbagu and shares common boundary with the Naniik clan lands over which the Naniik Naba rules. There is nothing like Bagri land in that area. The Bagri Daana does not own any land. The history is that they came and met the Konkombas already there and Kokombas accepted them and lived with them and farmed together. The Tamoung Clan however later refused, neglected or failed to pay allegiance to the Bimbagu Rana but decided to approach successive Overlord of Mamprugu, the Nayiri for enskinment but the Nayiri on those occasions refused their request and often referred them to Konkomba Chief, Bimbagu Rana to be enskinned a sub-chief but they had always refused to do so. They rather resorted to illegally run to the Bunkpurugu Naba to be enskinning them over the years to take care of their clan interest.
ABOUT THE NANIIK CLAN LANDS:
The land, the Naniik clan currently occupies was acquired in the late 1700 by Naniik clansmen led by Nyaan Konlan Kamuajual. It was a virgin forest. Some of the early settlers of Naniik clansmen included Najapian, Tamatouku, Boklik, Kumok Laar, Jabong, Yaatik and Bojouk. The Naniik community is made up of Naniik town itself and its environs including Nayin Gberuk and the area around the River which separate it from Binde territory which is recently being referred to as Nagikong. It is contiguous. It is in the Bunkpurugu/Nakpanduri District of the North East Region. The Naniik clan and its communities belong to the Bimoba ethnic group in the Bunkpurugu Nakpanduri district. The Naniik clan like any other Bimoba clan has been in this land over centuries. They had and have always been ruled by the Mampurugu Kingdom since its inception. The advent of the Whiteman’s rule under the colonial administration has never changed the history of the area.
Before the colonial era, the whole area was contiguous and ruled by the Kingdom of Mampurugu.
Later the Allied forces after the defeat of Germany which had colonized the area divided the area into two with one side Togo land being ruled by France and the other side was ruled by the British.
In 1954, the Plebiscite to decide whether the two divided areas should re unite as a country was conducted, and the British side decided to remain under the British and the other side remained in Togo which with other areas in the British territory attained independence as Republic of Ghana.
The Naniik clan has always been a unique clan. We and the Kpikpira as well as Nabakib who are descendants of Turunma are the people who celebrate the only Bimoba ancestral Festival popularly known as DANJUAR annually here in Ghana. We can also be found in Togo where we own the Paramountcy of Dasouti and our ancestral home Naniik.
CHIEFTAINCY JURISDICTION:
The supposed Petitioners in the Press Conference claimed Naniik Naba, the Paramount Chief of Naniik is a “sub Chief” but they never told the world the superior Chief under whom he has been operating. To set the record straight, the Naniik clan has always been independent and owing allegiance to only the Nayiri the Overlord of Mampurugu. The current Naniik Naaba is the third chief and all his true predecessors like him had always been enskined by the Nayiri. The first Naniik Naba was enskined in 1953 (71 years ago) as a Division of the Mampurugu Traditional Council by the then Nayiri, Naa Sheriga Abdulai 1. Therefore the supposed Petitioners cannot tell the world that their predecessors were not aware of this important occasion during which the Nayiri conveyed the entire Naniik lands to the Naniik clan and enskinned a chief over it to rule them on his behalf.
It should be noted that none of their predecessors from Tamoung clan or any other clan ever raised any objection to that act at that time or laid claim to the Naniik lands.
In 2022, the Naniik Naba applied to the overlord of Mampurugu, the Nayiri to be elevated to Paramountcy.
Following his request, the Nayiri granted Naniik Naba’s request and the processes started. When the Tamoung clan in Bimbagu who claim to be owners of Bimbagu land heard this, they kicked against it even though they neither own Naniik land nor its chieftaincy. They claimed that their skin is “Senior” to that of the Naniik clan which history does not support. The Tamoung clan lives on the land of the Konkomba chief of Bimbagu whose land shares a common boundary with the Naniik land. The boundary between the two communities starts from the Bimbagu primary school Bimbagu-Bunkpurugu road with the Naniik community known as Kunkomon. This is not disputed.
Similarly, the boundary runs southwards along the hills to the north and south. The newly established Senior High School is right in Naniik land. The Bagri (Tamoung) people over the years have been allowed to farm in that area due to the benevolence of the Naniik clan. Naniik and Tamoung are two different clans of the Bimoba ethnic group and they have never in history owned the Naniik land together with the Naniik clan. Again, Naniik does not owe allegiance to the Tamoung and vice visa.
The title of the Tamoung chief of Bimbagu is called Bagri. As at 2022 the Tamoung chief has already died and they have since not enskined one to replace him. They have a regent who is taking care of their affairs. He had died before 2022, and it was the Regent and his Tamoung clan men who objected to the elevation of Naniik Naaba to Paramountcy by the Nayiri on grounds that they are “Senior” to the Naniik Naaba.
JUDGMENT
The Tamoung Clan petitioned the Nayiri in 2022 stating that they were seniors to the Naniik skin and was also claiming ownership of the lands in Naniik. The Nayiri ruled in favour of the Naniik clan based on the facts and history of the area. The Nayiri in His ruling on the 22/12/2022 stated categorically the following:
The Bagri (Regent) Gbang Daana, the Tamoung chief of Bimbagu is not a chief of Bimbagu and that he should never hold himself as such.
That Bagri Daana is not a chieftaincy title.
That even if it was a chieftaincy title, he (Bagri Chief) will still be a junior chief to the Naniik Chief.
That Bagri Daana doesn’t have any jurisdiction in Bimbagu which means he has no land in Bimbagu, as he is living on the land of the Konkomba chief who by title and everything owns the land of which the Bagri Daana and his people reside.
That the Title Bagri Daana is never known in Mampurugu and that it’s a title known in the Republic of Togo where you can find Bagri as a place.
That the Konkomba chief is Bimbagu Rana and owns all the lands of Bimbagu.
The Bagri Daana can become a sub chief to the Konkomba chief of Bimbagu by approaching the Bimbagu Rana for him to enskin him as his sub chief.
He only knows that Naniik Naba has jurisdictional boundaries with the Bimbagu Rana (Konkomba chief).
By this ruling, the Nayiri categorically stated that the Naniik Naba does not owe allegiance to the Bagri Daana.
The overlord consequently ordered that the customary processes triggered to elevate Naniik Naba should continue.
WHO IS BAGRI DAANA?
It is to be noted that the first Bagri Daana to be enskined by the Nayiri and Mamprugu Kingdom was Jadan Toatir the one who died recently and they have not yet enskined another to replace him. Before then they had always refused to acknowledge the jurisdiction of the Bimbagu Rana over them. Previously whenever they went to successive Nayiris and requested to be enskinned as the Bimbagu Rana they refused them with the explanation that the Konkomba chief is the Bimbagu Rana. Jadan Toatir (deceased) pleaded with the Nayiri and the Mamprugu Traditional Council that since he had come to the Nayiri he should not go back empty handed. He pleaded that the Nayiri should confer on him the Title “Bagri Daana”, which is the title of a Tamoung Shrine Priest in Bagri in Togo and that he was going to serve his people there. Little did the Nayiri know that he was going to Bimbagu to pose as chief to rule over the Tamoung clan and other Bimoba clans in Bimbagu to the detriment of the Bimbagu Rana. He was therefore the first Tamoung man to be enskinned as a chief by the Nayiri.
Previously, they had illegally resorted to always being enskined by the Bunkpurugu Naba whenever successive Nayiris had refused them, despite the fact that they are residing in the Bimbagu Rana territory and the Bunkpurugu lacks jurisdiction over that area.
As a result of the elevation of the Naniik Naba by the Nayiri and the National House of Chiefs, the Tamoung people are threatening to go to war with not only the Naniik clan but any other clans they claim to be living in Bimbagu land including the Konkombas who are the known owners as ruled by the Nayiri in his Judgment between the Naniik and the Tamoung case on 22/12/2022. These facts can easily be ascertained by everybody without even being told.
It must be emphasized that the Tamoung Clan is not only threatening the peace of Naniik Clan and Bimbagu with bloodshed but the whole Mamprugu Kingdom. These are people (Tamoung Clan) known for their notoriety in fomenting and causing mayhem in the area. They appeared to be the main source and cause of insecurity in the whole Bunkpurugu Nankpaduri and Yunyoo districts of the North East Region. Indeed they have terrorized and fought with almost all Bimoba Clans and Konkombas over lands.
The Naniik people are law-abiding, tolerant and peaceful but will safeguard its territories under the laws of Ghana and that of the Mamprugu Traditional Council in general.
It is preposterous that the Tamoung should be telling the world that the Naniik Chief and the Naniik people are their guests on the Naniik land. The Naniik have never in history been subject of Tamoung. Again the land the Naniik is occupying presently was occupied as a virgin forest by Nyaan Konlan Kamuajuar who was a hunter and his kingsmen who he brought around with him.
The Tamoung clansmen on the other hand were and have always been where they are now living with the Konkombas. It should be noted that no Tamoung man was living with Naniik people in their enclave in pre 1950s.
It must be stated categorically that the Tamoung youth do not know their history because it unbelievable for them to say that Naniik enskin their chiefs over the land that belong to their ancestors while the ancestors raised no objection to such act. Since their ancestors and predecessors never challenge both the Nayiris and the Naniik Clansmen on the Naniik enskinning their chiefs on that land it speaks for it all that the land did not and does not belong to Tamoung. Hence the Tamoung clansmen should be told that they can never rewrite history to claim what never belong to them in this modern era.
I am calling on the good people of the Naniik Clan wherever they may be to restrain themselves from any provocations by the disgruntled Tamoung Clansmen.
Again, I entreat the National Security to as matter urgency apprehend the leaders of the Press Conference who are nothing but troubleshooters because of their youthful exuberance and lack of knowledge of their history. Their threats are baseless and premised on ignorance of the history of their ancestry in relation to their position among other clans and tribes wherever they find themselves in the area. The Tamoung clansmen should accept the fact that in villages where they are chiefs or ruling class those other clansmen and tribes respect them and accord them their status as such. Hence they should also learn to pay allegiance to other clans’ chiefs in whose land they find themselves as in the instant case where they are refusing to recognize the right of the Naniik Naba and his people as owners of the Naniik land. They are advised to accept the situation and learn to live with it so that peace and harmony will prevail and development will flourish in Naniik for everybody including themselves who are settlers who moved into the area in the 1950s.
This will help them to develop peacefully along side others.
LONG LIVE THE NANIIK CLAN
LONG LIVE THE NAYIRI AND MAMPRUGU KINGDOM
LONG LIVE GHANA
Thank you.
By: Lawyer Yakubu Mahama Dubik
Elder of the Naniik Clan, Naniik.
