The Nayiri, Overlord of Mamprugu, Naa Bohugu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga, has formally rejected the mediation report on the Bawku Chieftaincy Dispute presented by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to President John Dramani Mahama at Jubilee House on December 16, 2025.
In a strongly worded statement issued on December 17, the Nayiri distanced himself and the people of Mamprugu from what he described as a “so-called mediation report and recommendations,” insisting that the document neither reflects his engagements with the Asantehene nor the position of his duly constituted mediation team.
The statement follows the presentation of a roadmap by the Asantehene-led mediation committee aimed at resolving the long-running Bawku conflict, which has periodically erupted into violence and remains one of Ghana’s most complex chieftaincy disputes.
According to the Nayiri, the document presented to the President does not constitute a valid mediation outcome and cannot be treated as binding or subject to government enforcement.
He argued that the process violated basic principles of mediation and natural justice, particularly because the Asantehene’s role was expressly described as that of a mediator rather than an arbitrator.
“The document purports to pass judgment and prescribe measures for enforcement, acts wholly inconsistent with the nature and limits of mediation,” the statement said.
He further criticised the absence of agreed Terms of Reference to guide the mediation process, noting that despite repeated requests by the Mamprugu mediation team, none were provided by either the previous or current administration.
The Nayiri also questioned what he described as unilateral determinations allegedly reached without giving the parties an opportunity to be heard or to comment on the reasoning and conclusions contained in the report. He stated that Mamprugu was neither invited to review nor respond to the findings before they were presented to the President.
“A mediation report must reflect the positions of the parties, identify areas of agreement and disagreement, and record any consensual outcomes,” the statement noted, adding that the report instead substituted the mediator’s personal opinions for negotiated positions.
He described the recommendations as procedurally flawed, legally unsustainable and unacceptable, accusing the report of containing factual inaccuracies and showing a manifest imbalance in favour of one party’s narrative while largely omitting Mamprugu’s case.
The Nayiri also rejected claims that he had agreed to the continued recognition of Aninchema as Bawku Naba, describing such assertions as “entirely false.” He expressed concern that neither party to the mediation was present at the presentation of the report, which is now being portrayed as having enjoyed their acceptance.
He further expressed alarm over statements attributed to President Mahama suggesting that government may issue a definitive position within 24 hours based on the report, warning that such a move would not advance peace.
The Nayiri maintained that the mediation process ended in a deadlock, with no consensus reached between the Mamprugu and Kusasi sides. He said Mamprugu made concessions in good faith at the request of the Asantehene—concessions that were later acknowledged by the President—but these were rejected by the Kusasi side.
He argued that under the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act, 2010 (Act 795), the appropriate course would have been to report the deadlock rather than purporting to reach final determinations or legal conclusions.
Despite his strong objections, the Nayiri reaffirmed his commitment to peace and urged the people of Mamprugu to remain calm and law-abiding. However, he stressed that peace cannot be built on injustice or imposed outcomes.
“Not even an inch of Mamprugu’s ancestral heritage will be ceded through an unjust and clearly orchestrated process,” the statement said.
He called for any sustainable resolution of the Bawku Chieftaincy Dispute to be anchored in transparency, impartiality, historical truth, constitutional norms and the consent of all parties.
The Nayiri said he would continue to engage with the Asantehene and the Government of Ghana and promised to issue a more comprehensive statement in due course, urging the media and the public to exercise caution in characterising ongoing efforts to resolve the dispute.
