The lawyer of the embattled Bunkpurgu Na-ba has disclosed that he has appealed against the ruling that strips the title of his client as Chief.
The Judicial Committee of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs on Friday unanimously declared the enskinment of Alhaji Abuba Nasinmong of the Jafok family as Bunkpurgu Na-ba as null and void after almost 12 years of legal tussle.
It argued that the enskinsment was a violation of the rotational system of the Bunkpurgu skin.
But the plaintiff through his lawyer, Slyvester Issang says although he respects the judgement he and his client disagree with the final ruling hence, their decision for the appeal.
“We wish to state that our client respects the judgement of the Judicial Committee of the Northen Regional House of Chiefs but disagrees with the decision reached by the Committee and its reasoning thereto.
And as a law-abiding citizen of Ghana, our client would take only legal and constitutional measures to seek the appropriate remedies.”“We wish to notify the good people of Bunkpurugu and the general public that our client has immediately filed a notice of appeal at the National House of Chiefs to contest the judgement of the Judicial Committee of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs. As per the relevant law, the Appeal that has been filed, unless otherwise directed by the National House of Chiefs operates automatically as a Stay of Execution of the judgement of the Judicial Committee of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs”, the statement added.
The defeated Chief and his lawyer urged residents to be calm as they work assiduously within the remits of the law to have the ruling reversed.
“The status quo therefore remains. In the meantime, we urge the good citizens of Bunkpurungu and the general public to remain calm as the next stage of the matter takes its normal course by the due process of the law.”
The chieftaincy issues
The Bunkpurugu chieftaincy dispute has impacted negatively on the people of the area where lives and properties have been destroyed whenever tensions erupt into violent clashes.
After the judicial committee ruling, it directed Jafok family to submit all chieftaincy regalia to the petitioner, the Jamong Royal family.
The Bunkpurgu chieftaincy issues started in 2007 after the death of late chief Lanbong Taankpan.
This follows the enskinment of Abuba Nasinmong as Bunkpurgu Na-ba by the Nayiri Abdulai Mahami Sheriga.
However, the enskinment process did not go down well with the Jamong royal family who subsequently petitioned the Northern Regional House of chiefs.
A fact-finding committee chaired by the Susong Lana established that the Bunkpurgu skin is patrilineal and rotational and since the late chief was from the Jafok family, it was the turn of the Jamong family to occupy the skin.