COUNCIL ENSKINS NEW BUIPE-WURA (PAGE 51, JUNE 7, 2010)

THE Gonja Traditional Council has enskinned a new Buipe-wura, sparking further controversies and tension in the already volatile area that has witnessed some disturbances over the Buipe Skin affair in recent times.
The new Buipe-wura is Tampe-wura Bawa Jewu, with the skin name, Buipe-wura Ewushie Lebu II.
This was contained in a letter signed by the Paramount Chief of the Gonja Traditional Area, Yagbon-wura Tuntunba Borisa Sulemana Jakpa II, and copied to the Central Gonja District Security Committee (DISEC).
According to the letter, the new Buipe-wura was formally enskinned on Saturday, June 5, 2010.
The DISEC has, however, indicated that it will convene an emergency meeting this week to discuss this latest development to fashion out the way forward in the protracted chieftaincy affair.
Following news of the enskinment of the new chief on Saturday, there have been some skirmishes in the town, since the current Buipe-wura, Mahama Abdulai Jinapor, has refused to abdicate the skin, insisting that he is still the rightful claimant to the skin.
Supporters of both sides are said to be arming themselves for a possible showdown, but the heavy military and police presence and patrols in the area seem to have held the factions back.
According to the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area, Mr Issifu Salisu Be-Awuribe, the situation was currently under control.
He entreated the people to remain calm, as efforts were being made to resolve the impasse.
“I urge that anybody who has any misgiving about the chieftaincy matter should seek the right channels for redress and not take the law into his or her own hands to cause any mischief,” he admonished.
There has between a long-standing disagreement between the Buipe-wura and some members of the Buipe Traditional Council, leading to threats and counter threats from both sides.
The chief had often complained of lack of respect for his authority by some council members.
At the first ordinary meeting of the council at Damongo on May 13, 2010, an attempt was made to mediate in a case between the Buipe-wura and one of his alleged antagonists, Mono-wura Akwasi Piesie, whom the former claimed to have deskinned for gross disrespect to his skin.
The talks, however, turned acrimonious, leading to heated verbal exchanges between the Buipe-Wura and his loyalists, on one side, and the Yagbon-Wura, the other chiefs and their supporters, on the other.
The Buipe-wura was alleged to have subsequently pulled out a gun and fired warning shots.
Following that development, the council declared its intention to deskin the Buipe-wura for what it considered insubordination and gross disrespect to the members.
A five-member committee, under the chairmanship of the Kagbape-wura, was subsequently constituted to manage the affairs of the Buipe Traditional Council until the enskinment of a new chief for the area.