The Kpandai Branch of the Konkomba Youth Association has said they read with shock the content of a
petition by the Nawuri Professionals Association against the exercise of their Constitutional rights as citizens of Ghana after they chose to organise a cultural dance competition to rekindle the desire of their people in the performance of their cultural dance.

The Nawuri Professionals Association in a petition to the Nothern Regional Coordinating Council dated 13th June, 2022 and signed by the President of the group Nyefene Vincent, expressed their displeasure of a planned Konkomba Cultural Dance.

“We therefore with due respect wish to appeal to you to use your office as Regional Security Council to suspend the said activity untill further notice for a proper consultation to be done by the organisers of the even event and the permission from Kpandaiwura, the custodian of the land. We say this because there are some agitations growing up in the Nawuri Youth of which if care is not taken could lead to insecurity in Kpandai”; Mr Nyefene Vincent stated.

Responding to the Nawuri Professionals Association’s petition in a letter to the Chairman of the Northern Regional Security Council dated 22nd June, 2022, the local President of the the Kpandai Branch of the Konkomba Youth Association Nalignakia Joel said;
“In the NPA’s petition, they stated among other things that the Konkomba Chief of Kpandai is a settler Chief and have no capacity to grant his people the right to practice their culture”.

The Konkomba group said; “If we are to refer to history, for the avoidance of doubt, the Nawuri people could not be landlords. If the Konkomba people are settlers, then Nawuri people are settlers too. In the report by Mr. J. Dixon, Administrative Officer, Class I, on Representations made to the Trusteeship Council of the United Nations Organisation, concerning the status of the Nawuri and Nanjuros within the Togoland area of the Gonja District”.

The Konkomba Youth Association further said;
“Chairman, our argument is that, the Nawuris are more settlers in Kpandai than us, the Konkombas”.

According to the Kpandai Konkomba Youth Association the leadership of the Nawuri and Nchumuru
communities in Kpandai a couple of months ago instructed the officers of the National Identification Authority in Kpandai not to register any Konkomba who indicates any community in the Kpandai District as his or her hometown and when they challenged this, the Human Resource Manager at the Kpandai District Assembly Mr Ndamile shamelessly pointed to a definition of hometown in someone’s research.

The Kpandai Konkomba Youth Association stated; “Ever since the Nawuri Professional Association (NPA) was formed some few years ago, we have come to the realization that, their objectives and activities are not geared towards promoting development in Kpandai but rather to plan and execute wicked and diabolic activities towards the development of the Konkomba community in Kpandai with the full support of the DCE.

“Chairman, based on the issues raised, we are totally convinced that the objective of the Nawuri
community together with their para-groups is not to promote the peace and development of Kpandai but to plan and executed diabolism against the Konkomba Community.

“Chairman, the Konkomba Community in Kpandai are peace loving people, we are focused on
channelling all our energies towards the promotion of peace, unity and development in Kpandai. But we will not allow ourselves to be taken for granted by any person or group of persons, talk less of the Nawuris or any of their mushroom groups such as the NPA.

“The Konkomba Community in Kpandai will continue to make intentional efforts to promote peace, unity and development in Kpandai. But the Nawuris should always remember that the gentle strides of the tiger is not a mark of cowardice.

“The Nawuris must also know that we will resist in relatively adequate measure should there ever be efforts to subjugate or undermine us in Kpandai and that all their activities and control should be limited to their people, the Nawuri Community.

“The Nawuri Professional Association must know that, we are all settlers in Kpandai, and that is evident in the reference quoted above and that instead of focusing their energies on how to destroy the Konkomba Community in Kpandai, they are better advised to make calculated and intentional efforts towards developing the people of Kpandai”.

Source: nkilgifmonline.com