A chaotic scene that led to an exchange of blows at a meeting of the Gonja Traditional Council on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, reportedly forced tears from the King of Gonja Kingdom who witnessed the ugly scenes.
The Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Jewu Soale (I), and some forty paramount chiefs were present at the meeting in the West Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region.
The turn of events, which took many of the chiefs by surprise, compelled the King to openly shed what some have described as tears of disappointment
The scuffle involved some members of the youth who were at the palace over a petition they had presented to the council to act on.
Some sources at the palace indicated to JoyNews that a decision was taken to drop the petition that was presented to the Gonja Traditional Council through the Yagbonwura for the removal of the Registrar of the Savannah Regional House of Chiefs, Kapori Abutu, and also investigate some chiefs over alleged missing funds from the sale of charcoal.
The sources further indicated that the petition did not receive the blessings of the council, hence the confusion among the youth.
According to eyewitnesses, this forced the Palace to call for police protection and the maintenance of law and order.
“The petition was well read by the Registrar and after that, Kpembewura and others said if these are all the allegations, then they are empty. So, they asked for it to be dropped and it was dropped. The Council didn’t go into it, and while still there, the youth, I mean some members of the petitioners and others just started with an argument and suddenly, the blows followed”the source said.
Some eyewitnesses who confirmed that the Yagbonwura indeed shed tears over the incident, said, “The tears Yagbonwura shed today, is as a result of his disappointment in the people he thought he had their trust. For this, his tears will be a curse on those people if nothing is done to reverse it”, he indicated.
The two-day meeting is the maiden meeting for Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Jewu Soale (I) since his enskinment a few months ago as King and lifetime President of both the Savannah Regional House of Chiefs and the Gonja Traditional Council.
According to some residents in Damongo, the meeting which started on Monday, June 12, “will go into the history books of the Kingdom as a dark day for Kagbanye (Followers of Sumaila Ndewura Jakpa).
JoyNews sources say the meeting, which was supposed end before midday on Tuesday, was postponed to 2:00pm, forcing Chiefs from distant communities to wait into the evening.
At the time our news crew was exiting the Palace, three uniformed military officers were seen at vantage points outside the palace to augment the work of the police to ensure the safety of the Chiefs.
The Gonja Traditional Council is the highest decision-making body in the Gonja Kingdom. It also constitutes all the paramouncies including some prominent elders as members to regulate and direct the development and general welfare of the Kingdom.
