Kperisi Elders Call for Presidential Intervention to Resolve Prolonged Chieftaincy Dispute

The Kperisi Council of Elders has called on President John Dramani Mahama, the Minister for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and the leadership of both the National and Regional Houses of Chiefs to urgently intervene in a prolonged chieftaincy dispute that has crippled development efforts in the Kperisi Traditional Area of the Upper West Region.

At a press conference held in the Kperisi community over the weekend, the Tendaamba (landowners and kingmakers) expressed grave concern over the escalating tension and stalled progress due to the unresolved succession issues following the death of the late Chief Naa Seidu Mahama Kunlugi II in January 2021.

The chieftaincy stool has since remained vacant, leading to internal conflict among royal factions of the Naageri clan.

“This lingering dispute has halted developmental projects and created a climate of instability in the community,” Fuseini Ismail, a representative of the Council of Elders stated.

“As landlords and traditional custodians, we believe it is time to knock on the doors of Ghana’s highest authorities to find a path forward.”

The elders revealed that the matter was formally brought before the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs in May 2021, but four years on, the case remains unresolved, further fueling tension.

They warned that recent unauthorized attempts by one faction to enskin a new chief—despite the matter being sub judice—nearly ignited violent clashes.

“We are sitting on a ticking time bomb,” they cautioned, emphasizing that the community houses the Wa Nursing Training College, a critical national institution hosting students from across the country.

“For the sake of public peace and national unity, we need immediate action to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control.”

The Council called on His Excellency the President of Ghana, the Minister for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and the leadership of both the National and Regional Houses of Chiefs to step in and bring a definitive resolution to the matter.