Some chiefs in the Northern region boycotted Ghana’s 57th Independence Day celebrations.
Amongst the angry chiefs who boycotted the event is the Dagbon Regent’s representative in Tamale, Gukpegu Naa II, Alhaji Alhassan Abdulai.
Reports said confusion broke out at the Tamale Jubilee Park between the security and some chiefs who were invited to the ceremony.
Secretary to the Gugkpegu Naa, Alhaji Latif Saha-Naa in an interview with Citi News alleged that security personnel at the parade grounds barricaded the Gukpegu-Naa and his entourage when they got there.
“We went to the Jubilee Park to grace the occasion unfortunately before we got to the Park the troops had already moved onto the parade ground; the parade hadn’t started so the soldiers who were around the entrance stopped us profusely and they were demanding that the chief should use an alternative route which would have even wasted more time.”
Saha-Naa said the officer in charge of the security personnel at the main entrance snubbed him when he attempted convincing him to allow the chief’s way in.
“I spoke to the officer in charge and told him they should allow us to go through the normal gate that vehicles always used and they said no they wouldn’t agree but that if only the chief will get down and walk to the podium and we agreed and immediately the chief got down and got ready to walk they came and said they will not allow him.”
According to him, the Gukpegu Naa was scheduled to represent the Dagbon Regent, Kampakuya Naa Abdulai Andani at the ceremony.
Alhaji Saha-Naa called on President John Mahama to sanction the northern regional Minister and the Mayor of Tamale for allegedly disrespecting the traditional authorities in Dagbon.
“The MCE, the regional minister and the deputy regional minister have not treated the Gukpegu Naa well; we are summoning sons and daughters of Gukpegu to let the whole wide world know that this is what is happening in Tamale.”
He fumed, “The political leadership in Tamale is not respecting traditional authority so we have severed all ties with the regional coordinating council and the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly; we don’t want to have anything to do with the MCE, the regional minister and his deputy.”
By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana