House of Chiefs directs consultant on Dagbon revised constitution to consider petitions

The National House of Chiefs has directed the consultant working on the revised constitution of the Dagbon Traditional Area to consider petitions over territorial issues raised by certain interest groups before the promulgation of the new document.

Naa Puowele Karbo III, Vice President of the House, gave the directive when the revised constitution was presented to the House for approval, having been considered by the Dagbon Traditional Council and the Northern Regional House of Chiefs.

The House, after acknowledging the good job done by the consultant, underlined the need to do further consultations to make room for the issues raised by other stakeholders to achieve sustainable peace in Dagbon through the new constitution.

Ya Naa Abubakari Mahama II, the Overlord of Dagbon, established the Dagbon Constitution Review Committee and appointed a consultant to appraise, evaluate and review the report of the Conference of Dagbon Chiefs held in Yendi in 1930 which had since become the constitution of Dagbon.

The initiative by the Ya Naa, is being supported by a consortium seeking to promote and sustain peace in the Northern Region with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

They include Care International, National Peace Council and West Africa Network for Peace Building (WANEP).

Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni, the Consultant for the constitution review led the team that presented the draft copy to the National House of Chiefs for approval and adoption.

He said the preamble of the revised constitution encapsulated the cultural philosophy, historical antecedents, fundamental principles, and core values of the people of Dagbon.

“It also succinctly states the collective aspirations of the chiefs and people of Dagbon to perpetuate peace and stability as the fundamental bedrock for sustainable development of the Dagbon Kingdom to the benefit of citizens and the people in the geographical space,” he told the House.

For decades, Dagbon was embroiled in an intense contest between the Abudu and Andani royal lineages of the Yendi Skin which often resulted in bloody conflicts.

Various governments appointed fact-finding committees to resolve the issue and maintain peace and stability.

It is for this reason that the House of Chiefs wants the consultant to consider the issues raised by all stakeholders in the revised constitution to further strengthen the peace in Dagbon.

Source: GNA