The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has reaffirmed that Naba Asigri Abugrago Azorka II is the lawful chief of Bawku, stressing that the long-standing chieftaincy dispute must be guided strictly by the Constitution and the rulings of the courts.
Otumfuo made these remarks on Tuesday, December 16, while presenting the Bawku Peace Mediation Report to President John Dramani Mahama at the Jubilee House. His address sought to bring clarity, legality, and finality to the contentious issue that has affected peace and stability in Bawku and its surrounding areas for decades.
Referencing Ghana’s 1992 Constitution and the position of the Supreme Court, the Asantehene emphasised that the matter has already been conclusively determined and should not be subjected to further litigation. He noted that “by the Constitution enacted in 1992 and by the position of the Supreme Court, the matter should never be litigated before it again,” adding that Naba Sigiri Abugrago Azorka is the lawful chief of Bawku and the Paramount Chief of the Kusasi Traditional Area.
Otumfuo further explained that the Bawku Naba has been a member of the National House of Chiefs for nearly four decades and has been duly destooled and reinstated through recognised legal and traditional processes. As such, his right to rule, he said, should not be disturbed except through a “judicially and constitutionally recognised process.” Any attempt to revisit the matter, the Asantehene noted, can only be done through a formal clarification by the Supreme Court, if such a remedy is available.
In a firm reminder to traditional authorities across the country, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II stated that chieftaincy does not place anyone above the law. “We chiefs, no matter how exalted, do not live above the Constitution of Ghana and the laws duly enacted and affirmed by the courts,” he declared.
He expressed confidence that strict adherence to the rule of law and respect for the Supreme Court’s pronouncements would pave the way for lasting peace. According to him, once legality is respected, “Bawku and its environs will be assured of sustainable and enduring peace.”
