Tamale, Northern Region – December 17, 2025
The Nayiri, Overlord of Mamprugu, Naa Bohugu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga, has formally rejected a mediation report on the protracted Bawku Chieftaincy dispute presented by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, describing it as procedurally flawed, legally untenable and unacceptable to the people of Mamprugu.
In a strongly worded statement issued by the Mamprugu Traditional Council on Wednesday, the Nayiri distanced himself and the Mamprugu people from what he termed a “so-called mediation report and recommendations” presented to President John Dramani Mahama on December 16, 2025.
According to the Nayiri, the document does not reflect his engagements with Otumfuo Osei Tutu II or those of his duly constituted mediation team and therefore cannot be described as the outcome of a valid mediation process.
“The purported report and recommendations do not constitute a valid mediation, and any attempt to present it as binding or to seek government enforcement is legally untenable, procedurally flawed and constitutionally impermissible,” the statement said.
The Nayiri argued that Otumfuo’s role was clearly defined as that of a mediator and not an arbitrator, stressing that mediation, by its nature, does not permit a mediator to impose judgments or prescribe enforcement measures on parties.
He further revealed that despite repeated requests, no Terms of Reference were ever provided to guide the mediation process, a situation he said contradicted assurances that the scope and framework of the mediation would be clearly defined by the Presidency.
Raising concerns about due process, the Nayiri questioned how a mediator could unilaterally reach determinations without affording the parties an opportunity to comment on or respond to the reasoning behind such conclusions.
“At no point were the parties invited to engage with, comment on, or respond to the conclusions said to have been reached,” the statement noted, adding that any deliberations that may have occurred were conducted without the knowledge, participation or consent of Mamprugu.
The Nayiri insisted that a proper mediation report must reflect the positions of all parties, identify areas of agreement and disagreement, and record only consensual outcomes achieved through dialogue. He accused the report of substituting the mediator’s personal opinions for negotiated positions, thereby assuming an adjudicative role without jurisdiction.
He also alleged that the report contains factual inaccuracies, demonstrates imbalance in favour of one party’s narrative and largely omits Mamprugu’s case. The Nayiri categorically denied claims that he ever agreed to the continued recognition of Aninchema as Bawku Naba.
The statement further expressed concern that neither party to the mediation was present at the presentation of the report, which is now being portrayed as having their acceptance, while other organisations were selectively invited.
The Nayiri said he felt “betrayed, disappointed and deeply hurt” by the process and expressed alarm over reported comments attributed to President Mahama suggesting that government might issue a definitive position within 24 hours based on the report.
“Such an approach will not advance the peace we all seek,” he cautioned, urging the President to engage fully with all parties and the mediator before taking any action based on what he described as a deeply flawed document.
While reaffirming his commitment to peace, dialogue and stability in Bawku and the wider Mamprugu area, the Nayiri stressed that peace cannot be built on injustice or imposed outcomes. He maintained that the mediation process ended in a clear deadlock, with no consensus reached between the Mamprugu and Kusasi sides.
According to him, concessions made in good faith by Mamprugu at the request of Otumfuo—later acknowledged by President Mahama—were rejected outright by the Kusasi side, reinforcing the absence of agreement.
The Nayiri called on the people of Mamprugu to remain calm and law-abiding and warned that “not even an inch” of Mamprugu’s ancestral heritage would be ceded through what he described as an unjust and orchestrated process.
He concluded by urging the media, the public and all stakeholders to exercise caution and responsibility in characterising ongoing efforts to resolve the Bawku Chieftaincy dispute, noting that he would continue engagements with Otumfuo and the Government of Ghana and issue a more comprehensive statement in due course.
