Traditional leaders and stakeholders in the Navrongo Traditional Area of the Upper East Region are calling for urgent government intervention to prevent escalating chieftaincy tensions from threatening the peace and stability of the area.
At a joint press conference, the Navrongo Kingmakers, Council of Elders, and the Royal Navro-Pio family raised concerns over what they described as attempts by the current Paramount Chief to alter Navrongo’s time-honoured governance structure without due consultation or approval.
“Navrongo’s peaceful coexistence, which has lasted for centuries, is now under threat due to unapproved changes and manipulations of traditional procedures,” said Wepia Achana, head of the Kingmakers.
“We urge His Excellency the President, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, and all relevant authorities to act immediately to halt these destabilising actions. Any further provocation could cause irreversible damage to our chieftaincy institution, cultural integrity, and social harmony.”
At the heart of the controversy is the reported introduction of an “Overlord” system—deemed alien to Navrongo’s traditional governance—and a proposed renaming of the Navrongo Traditional Council to the Kassena-Nankana Traditional Council.
The stakeholders argue that these changes are misleading and disregard long-established customary boundaries.
“We have obtained a document titled Traditional Leadership Agreement, signed on August 20, 2024, which seeks to impose an Overlord system on Navrongo—something that has never been part of our tradition,” the leaders noted.
“The proposed renaming is equally problematic, as other paramountcies in the Kassena-Nankana area do not fall under the Navrongo Traditional Council.”
The group also condemned the alleged enskinment of sub-chiefs by the Navro-Pio without following due process, including bypassing the Regional House of Chiefs. They accused the Paramount Chief of manipulating leadership records and including unauthorised clans and individuals in submissions to the National House of Chiefs.
“The unprocedural elevation of divisional chiefs and enskinment of sub-chiefs in ways that trespass on land boundaries have heightened tensions and risk igniting a full-fledged crisis,” they warned.
The leaders called for a thorough investigation into these developments and urged the government to uphold and respect traditional protocols.
They further revealed that several petitions dating back to 2021—covering land disputes and breaches of customary norms—remain unresolved, adding that the potential for the conflict to spill over into neighbouring communities is high.
In their closing remarks, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to peace and appealed to former President John Dramani Mahama to intervene.
“The Navrongo Traditional Area is already at a boiling point. Any further provocation could cause lasting damage to our social cohesion and cultural heritage,” the statement concluded.
When contacted, a spokesperson for the Navro-Pio, Felix Kondayiri, declined to comment.
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