A four-member judicial committee has declared Deiwiah Abdullah Nankpa of Gbanhabelle family as the legitimate Paramount Chief of Pulima in the Gandawi traditional area in the Sissala West district of the Upper West Region.

This decision was taken following a petition filed by the Gbanhabelle family after the death of the late Kuoro Kpunia Nankpa II when Nyasu Amidu has been parading himself as the chief of Pulima.

According the verdict read by Lawyer Clement Eledi, who is the counsel for the Regional House of Chiefs, Nyasu Amidu is not a prince and hence not eligible to be the chief of Pulima.

Amidu has always paraded himself as the chief of Pulima since the death of the late Kuoro Kpunia Nankpa II in 1998 and since then the community has never had a legitimate chief for 19 years to date.

The committee has ordered him to stop with immediate effect from parading himself as the chief of pulima because he was not appointed or elected by the people of Pulima, the committee continued, that it is only the Gbanahabelle family that can get to the throne of chieftaincy in Pulima and not any other part of the community because they are the Princes.

Nyasu Amidu was charged a fine of GHS10, 000 to be paid to the Gbanhabelle family of Pulima after a week from today.

Dr Stephen Sondem who is the lawyer for the Gbanhabelle family said the respondent (NYASU AMIDU) does not have a good case to appeal because he is not a prince hence cannot be a chief.

Nankpa Adamu now the family head of the Gbanhabelle family and the oldest Prince, said the late Pulima Kuoro Kpunia Nankpa II, the Paramount chief Of Gandawi Traditional Area lived from 1891 to 1998.

He ruled eight villages for 44years after inheriting the throne from his late Father the first Paramount chief DEIWIA NANKPA (i) who had also ruled for 46years.The people Of Pulima and all the villages under its paramountcy adored ,respected and cherished his kind gestures, humility and above all his fairness and justice in Case delivery . He was not educated and yet more than a legend. He was very just and honest in His proceedings. The NANKPA family ruled for 90 years with peace and harmony and brought happiness and light upon their people. Ever since the death of the late Chief KPUNIA NANKPA II, the Gandawi Traditional Area has been without a clear vision because of the impasse from July 1998.

The committee has also added that the chieftaincy title can be transferred from one family member to the other once the person is a prince from the royal house.