By Mahama Haruna
The 7th Day funeral of the late Yagbonwura Tuntumba Boresa (I) has been performed at Damongo yesterday 26th February, 2023.
The funeral was colourful and befitting of a King and Overlord that presided over one of the most important skins of Northern Ghana.
At the funeral the Savannah Regional Minister Mr Muhazu Saeed Jibril made my day with a speech on the peaceful transition from one Yagbonwura to another.
He said; Gonja “has traditions and practices handed over from old generations for a peaceful transition from one Yagbonwura to another and this makes the Gonja Chieftaincy very very unique. I believe every child in Gonjaland already know who the next Yagbonwura is going to be…so Mr President let me assure you that this is going to be done without any acrimony”.
Going by all Customary and traditional laws that have been preserved by the Gonja Kingdom since their arrival in modern day Ghana in 1675, the election and selection of a successor to a deceased Yagbonwura is done a day after the performance of the seventh day funeral rites of the late Yagbonwura in the morning at the Yagbonwura’s Palace.
This means the Sonyowura who becomes the Acting Head of State of the Gonja Kingdom together with the other Kingmakers shall meet at the Traditional Council Office at Damongo to selection or choose a new Yagbonwura.
The Kingmakers of the Yagbon Skin of the Gonja Kingdom Area are Sonyowura (Head of the Kingmakers), Damongowura, Choriwura, Debrewura, Mankpangwura, Kulawwura, Kpansheguwura, Busunuwura and Nsuawura (Chief Linguist of Yagbonwura).
At the meeting, the Sonyowura shall nominate a new occupant to the Yagbon Skin and present him to the other Kingmakers for their comments and approval.
After the selection the Sonyowura shall make known to all Paramount Chiefs of the five gates as well as the entire Gonja Kingdom their choice for succession to the Yagbon throne.
The Yagbonwura- elect performs the twelfth (12th) day funeral rites of a late Yagbonwura and then choose a day suitable to him for his enskinment.
All things being equall, the Paramount Chief of the Tuluwe Traditional Area of Gonja, Tuluwewura Soale Mbema is expected to be crowned as the new King and Overlord of the Gonja Kingdom.
This is because the Tuluwe gate headed by the Paramount Chief of Tuluwe is one of five gates that ascends the Yagbon throne.
Secondly after the demise of Yagbonwura Bawa Abudu Doshie in 2010, the fourth gate (Tuluwe) was to take over unfortunately the then Tuluwewura Afin Nnase could not ascend the throne because he was indisposed so it moved to the occupant of the fifth gate, the Kusawguwura who enthroned as Yagbonwura Sulemana Jakpa Tuntumba Boresa (I) but with the understanding backed by documentation that it goes back to Tuluwe should Tuluwe be occupied by a Chief that is ‘capable’.
The current Tuluwewura is ‘fit and strong’ and so ‘capable’ of ascending the Yagbon Skin.
The Tuluwera will end the cycle of five gates that ascends the Gonja throne after which the first gate Wasipe (Daboya) begins another cycle to be followed by Bole, Kpembe then Kusawgu.
The last minutes of the Kingmakers of the Gonja Kingdom during the selection of Yagbonwura Tuntumba Boresa (I) in 2010 will aid the Kingmakers in the selection of a new King and Overlord of Gonja. Read on:
*MINUTES OF MEETING OF KING MAKERS ON THE ELECTION OF A NEW YAGBONWURA AFTER THE DEATH OF YAGBONWURA DOSHIE BAWA ABUDU- DATE 23RD JANUARY, 2010*
*MEMBERS PRESENT:*
1. Sonyowara Seidu Bi-Ngbanye (Chairman)
2. Damongowura Tuntumba (II)
3. Choriwura Deremeni
4. Kulaw-wura Kurumbure
5. Jampesewura Dramani Adam- Rep of Debrewura
6. Kpansheguwura A. A. Abudu
7. Nsuawura Moshi Soale
8. Buteiwura Yahaya Adam- Rep of Mankpanwura.
*Opening Prayer:*
Nsuawura Moshie Soale had a two minute silence prayer.
Sonyowura declared the meeting opened at 10:25 am. He asked the Registrar to read the previous minutes.
The previous minutes were read and Damongowura moved and seconded by Choriwura.
All members accepted the minutes as true records.
Sonyowura informed members why the meeting was convened.
Sonyowura mentioned that it was the turn of Tuluwe gate.
Members agreed that though it is their turn but the incumbent Tuluwewura being incapacitated cannot be the
Yagbonwua. Records have it that when Kpembewura Ababio was incapacitated to be a Yagbonwura it jumped to Bole and this has become a principle and since principle can not be divisible, members deemed it fit as custom demands to give it to Kusawgu.
Members found it difficult to accept the claim of Tuluwe to diskin the incumbent Tuluwewura and enskin the Bundawura as Tuluwewura because it has not been the usual practice.
Members are saying that nobody can go to Yagbon skins unless he is a divisional or paramount chief.
However members have agreed that after the reign of Kusawguwura the rotation comes back to Tuluwe provided there is a capable Tuluwewura.
In the absence of any further deliberations the Choriwura moved and secended by Damongowura for the closure of the meeting.
Sonyowura closed the meeting at 11:52am.
We the undersigned Kingmakers (Binimu) of the Gonja Traditional Area do hereby certify the minutes of our meeting held on 23rs January, 2010 for election of a new Yagbonwura.
We hereby affix our Thumbprints or signatures.
1. SONYOWURA SEIDU BI- NGBANYE…RTP
2. DAMONGOWURA TUNTUMBA (II)…SIG.
3. DEBERWURA REPRESENTATIVE
(JAMPESEWURA DRAMANI ADAM)…RTP
4. CHORIWURA DREMENI ESSUNGA…RTP
5. MANKPANWURA REPRESENTATIVE (BUTEIWURA YAHAYA ADAM)…RTP
6. KPANSHEGUWURA A. A. ABUDU…SIG.
7. NSUAWURA MOSHI SOALE…RTP
8. KULAWWURA KURUMBURE…RTP
SIGNED
REGISTRAR GONJA TRADITIONAL COUNCIL ( CHIEF DY SIIBU).
C/C
THE REG. MINISTER (NORTH)
P.O. BOX 100
TAMALE.
THE REG. REGISTRAR, NRHC
TAMALE.
ALL DIST. CHIEF EXECUTIVES
GONJA TRADITIONAL AREA.
*Photo: Sonyowura and some Kingmakers of Gonja at the Jakpa Palace.
27th February, 2023.
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