Wa Royal gates file petition against enskinment of Wa Naa

Wa, Feb. 5, GNA- Three of the four royal gates of the Wa skin have filed a petition at the Judicial Committee of the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs, requesting it to declare as null and void, the purported nomination and enskinment of Mr Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo as the new Wa Naa.

The Petition filed on their behalf by Gbewaa Chambers, a Tamale-based Law Firm, also called for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants and their agents as well as their supporters from outdooring Pelpuo as Wa Naa and his registration and gazetting as such.

The Petitioners are, Gbeture-Naa Alhaji Issah Bukari, Head of Yijisi Royal gate whose turn it is to provide a new Wa Naa, Mr Bomison Seidu Hamidu, Senior Prince of the Najeri royal gate and Naa Mumuni Saaka, Sing Naa and Head of the Jonyuosi royal gates. Mr Mahama Bayong, the Tendaana (Land Guardian), Yeri Naa Alhaji Mogtari, Mr Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo and Naa Mahama Seidu Kunlugu, Charingu Naa are the defendants.

Among other relief's being sought, the Petitioners further asked the House to declare that the Tendaana had no capacity to convene a meeting of kingmakers of Wa to elect a Wa Naa explaining that only the first petitioner had the authority to perform that role under Wala customs and usages.

The meeting organized by the Tendaana in collaboration with the defendants on January 19, which elected Mr Pelpuo should be declared null and void and of no effect, they added.

The petitioners said as kingmakers, their gates were not aware of any meeting to elect or install Mr Pelpuo and only got to know that Pelpuo was to be enskinned as Wa Naa on January 21 and outdoored the following day on January 22 this year, from the Daily Graphic of Saturday January 20.

They are also seeking a declaration that Charingu Naa Mahama Seidu Kunlugu is not Kperisi Naa and therefore not entitled to represent the Najeri gate as a Kingmaker.

They contended that the issue of who is entitled to become a Kperisi Naa has been a subject matter of a petition pending before the judicial committee of the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs. Following the death of Wa Naa Momori Bondiri the second, in January 1998, the issue of who succeeds him became the subject matter of a protracted dispute that was presently pending before a Supreme Court in a Motion of Review.

While the Motion was pending, Yakubu Seidu in whose favour judgement had been given, schemed to have himself installed and inaugurated and later gazetted as Wa Naa under the skin name Naa Yakubu Seidu Soale the second, but he died on September 3 last year. On December four last year, five of the seven kingmakers including the three royal gates nominated Kuntulo Naa Issah Seidu as the new Wa Naa.

While preparations were being made to inaugurate Naa Seidu, another faction emerged and got Mr Pelpuo elected, enskinned and outdoored as Wa Naa within a matter of three days.