Lepowura’s timely warning

KEEP THE KOKOMBA’S OUT OF THIS!

By Charles Takyi-Boadu

Lepowura Alhaji MND Jawula has cautioned against attempts to link Kokomba’s to recent developments in Buipe.
He believes the ensuing misunderstanding in Buipe could have serious ramifications for the chiefs and people of these two tribes who have co-existed peacefully for sometime now.
The Lepowura made this known in an interview with The Chronicle over the weekend.
He thus sought to erase the erroneous perception being created in the minds of Ghanaians as though the two sides are gearing up for a war.
According to the Lepowura, who is himself a Gonja chief, what is happening in Buipe is a purely internal Gonja affair, which has nothing to do with the Kokomba’s who he described as their brothers and sisters, saying ‘the Kokomba’s are right, they are in no way involved in what is happening.
That notwithstanding, the Lepowura indicated that the two tribes have and continue to live peacefully together since the conflict in 1992 and hence wondered why anybody or group of persons would want to link the Kokomba’s to an issue which nothing to do with them.
He thus asked those involved in the entire affair to keep the Kokomba’s out of it, since it could strain the cordial relations between the two tribes, Kokomba’s and Gonja’s.
The Lepowura however declined to go into the nitty-gritty of the issue, expressing optimism that his people, the Gonja would make amends and resolve the misunderstanding in a careful way in order not to degenerate into something else.
His comments come in the wake of supposed tension mounting up north in the Buipe Traditional Area in which the sides involved were said to be arming themselves in readiness for war.
This was when leadership of the Lebupe Gate, one of the two chieftaincy divides in the Buipe Traditional Area of the Northern Region made a statement to the effect that they could no longer succumb to what they perceive to be the tyrannical, repressive and the dictatorial rule of the Paramount Chief of the area, Buipewura Jinapor I and declared their readiness to engage in any “bloody battle” anytime he tries their patience.
For this reason, Lepowura Alhaji Jawula has asked all stakeholders involved to take a queue from the advice given by the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Buipe, Mr. Sualisu Issifu Be-Awuribe, who have expressed grave concern about the raging feud between the two royal gates, and appealed to them to soften their stands.
The DCE has also asked the sides involved to use due processes to settle their differences, rather than resorting to arms or violence.
In his response to the issue when it broke, the DCE gave the assurance that the District Security Committee (DISEC) was on top of the situation, and would not countenance any person or group of persons who would disturb the peace in the area, or illegally possess arms.