Gariba II

Last updated
Gariba II
  • His Royal Highness
  • His Royal Majesty
  • King of Dagbɔŋ
Yaa Naa Bukali II
Yaa Naa Bukali Mahama II, traditional ruler of the Kingdom of Dagbon in Ghana.jpg
ReignJanuary 18, 2019 – Present
EnskinedJanuary 25, 2019
Predecessor Yakubu II
BornAbubakar
(1939-01-01) 1 January 1939 (age 85) (disputed)
Mion (disputed)
Names
Abukari Mahama
Regnal name
Gariba II
House Andani
FatherMahama II
MotherAyishetu
Occupation
  • Yaa Naa
  • Farmer
  • Horseman
Styles of
Yaa Naa Bukali Mahama II
Reference style His Majesty
Spoken styleYour Majesty
Alternative styleTihi ni mɔri lana

Bukali II (Bukali, Bukari, Abukari, Abubakar; born 1939 or 1940's), known as Gariba II, is the current Yaa Naa, traditional ruler of the Kingdom of Dagbon in Ghana. [1]

Contents

Bukali was born into royalty at Mion to Mahama II, the Yaa Naa from 1938 to 6 February 1948. [2] His mother, Ayishetu, [1] was a princess from Kulunpke, a small community near Chaazaadaanyili in Northern Ghana. Bukali's first undertook public duties as the chief of Kpunkpono until he was elevated to Savelugu; one of three gate skins to succeed the Yaa Naa. [3]

Bukali was ordained by the kingmakers of Dagbon as the 41st Yaa Naa on January 18, 2019, [4] following a chieftaincy dispute that left the Yendi skins vacant for 16 years. [5] His election to the Yendi Skin was unanimously made by the King Making Committee and was proudly hailed by all and sundry in the Kingdom including the House of Abudu ,who issued one of the first congratulatory messages to the King.

Early life

Public office

Investiture

The ceremony to outdoor Bukali II began on January 25 throughout 27 of 2019. [1] The preceding two weeks of his investiture was devoted to the celebration of the final funeral rites of Mahamadu IV and Yakubu II; each lasting one week with the former taking the lead. This timeline was determined by the Committee of Eminent Chiefs formed by the Government of Ghana to intervene the dispute that followed the murder of the immediate past Yaa Naa Yakubu II that led to a 17-years long vacancy of the Yendi skins. [6]

On Friday January 18, 2019; the final day of the funeral of Yakubu II, kingmakers of Dagbon led by the Kuga Naa Abdulai Adam II, [7] consulted the Dagbon oracles to select a new king from among four contenders; namely, Yoo Naa Abukari Mahama; chief of Savelugu, Kampakuya Naa Abdulai Yakubu; regent of Yakubu II, Bolin Lana Abdulai Mahamudu; regent of Mahamadu IV, and Tampion Lana Alhassan Andani, chief of Tampion. [8] [9] Grass pulled from the roof of the Gbewaa Palace by the Gushei Naa was handed over to Abukari Mahama by the Kuga Naa. This gesture signified that the oracle had chosen Abukari Mahama to be the Yaa Naa. [10]

The ceremony of the investiture was held at the forecourt of the Gbewaa Palace. [11] Special guest of honor was the president of Ghana, Nana Akufo Addo. Present at the ceremony were Chiefs from Dagbon and their entourage, religious leaders, government officials, politicians and political party representatives including former president John Mahama, [12] and delegations sent by various paramouncies and chiefdoms including Asanteman and Mamprugu. The ceremony was chaired by Togbe Afede XIV, Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State in the Volta Region and President of the National House of Chiefs. [13]

Public perception and character

Ancestry

Ancestors of Gariba II
4. Yaa Naa Andani II
2. Yaa Naa Mahama II
5. ???
1. Yaa Naa Bukali II of the Kingdom of Dagbon
6. Kulunkpe-Naa Abukari
3. Ayishetu
7. ???

Projects and Initiatives

Dagbon Development Fund

In 2021, Bukali II launched the Dagbon Development Fund. [14] [15]

Gbewaa Palace Redevelopmet

On March 4, 2023, he cut sod for the reconstruction of the Gbewaa Palace. [16] [17] [18]

Revision of Dagbon Constitution

Bukali II initiated the review of the Dagbon constitution in 2020. [19] He inaugurated a committee whose membere were: Naa Yaba Kuɣa-Naa Abdulai II; Naa Yaba Sunson-Naa Shani Hamidu II; Naa Yaba Gushe-Naa Shitobu Abdulai I; Naa Yaba Tolon-Naa Abubakari I, Naa Yaba Kumbun-Naa Yiri II Alhaji Iddrisu Abu, Naa Yaba Nanton-Naa Mahamadu V, Naa Bakpem Kar-Naa Nantogmah, Naa Bakpem Yoo-Naa Abdulai V, Naa Bapra Mion-Lana Abdulai III, Naa Bapra Sagnar-Naa Ambassador Yakubu, Naa Bapra Chereponi-Fame Nanyame Kofi Malba, Naa Bapra Sabob-Naa Uchababor John Mateer Bowan, Naa Bapra Nakpale-Naa Gariba Yankosor II, Naa Bapra Kukon-Lana Abdulai, Naa Bapra Zankpaling-Lana Dr. Yakubu II, and Naa Yaba Namo-Naa Ayuba. [20] [21] [22] The reviewed constitution was adopted by the Dagbon Traditional Council in 2022. [23]

Relief for 2023 Volta Flood Victims

During the devastating 2023 Volta Floods, Bukali II donated significant relief composing of 300 bags of maize, 100 bags of rice, and 400 tubers of yam to victims in the Volta Region of Ghana. [24] [25] [26] [27] He also donated 100 bags of maize to affected victims at Buipe in the Savannah Region. [28] [27]

Related Research Articles

Yaa Naa Yakubu Andani II (1945–2002) was the King of Dagbon, the traditional kingdom of the Dagomba people in northern Ghana, from 31 May 1974 until his assassination on 27 March 2002. He was born in August 1945 in Sagnarigu, a suburb of Tamale in the Northern Region of Ghana. Yakubu II was killed on 27 March 2002 at Yendi, the capital of the Kingdom of Dagbon, by unknown people when clashes broke out between the two feuding Gates of Dagbon Kingship. For 600 years the Abudu and Andani clans, named after two sons of the ancient Dagbon king Ya Naa Yakubu I, cordially rotated control of the kingdom centred in Yendi, 530 kilometres (330 mi) north of Accra, the capital of Ghana. As of January 2014, a regent has acted as sovereign of the kingdom until 18 January 2019 when a new ruler is chosen to occupy the revered Lion Skins of Yendi.

The Dagombas or Dagbamba are an ethnic group of Ghana, and Togo. They number more than 3.1 million people. The term Dagbamba is originally extended to refer to other related peoples who were unified by Naa Gbewaa including the Mamprusi and Nanumba. The Dagomba country is called Dagbon and they speak Dagbanli language. Dagbanli is the most spoken language of northern Ghana and second most widely spoken local language of Ghana. Dagbanli belongs to the Mabia (Mole-Dagbani) subgroup of the Gur languages, a large group of related languages in West Africa. The Dagomba practises both patrilineal and matrilineal systems of inheritance.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yendi</span> Town & District Capital in Northern Region, Ghana

Yendi , is the traditional capital of the Kingdom of Dagbon and the administrative centre of the Yendi Municipal District in the Northern Region of Ghana. As of 2021, the population of Yendi was 154,421 comprising 76,142 males and 78,279 females. It is the seat of the King of the Dagbon, Ghana's oldest kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Region (Ghana)</span> Region of Ghana

The Northern Region is one of the sixteen regions of Ghana. It is situated in the northern part of the country and ranks as the second largest of the sixteen regions. Before its division, it covered an area of 25,000 square kilometres, representing 10 percent of Ghana's area. In December 2018, the Savannah Region and North East Region were created from it. The Northern Region is divided into 16 districts. The region's capital is Tamale, Ghana's third largest city.

Ya Na Darimani (Kulkarijee) was Ya-Na or king of the Kingdom of Dagbon, a kingdom located in the northern part of modern-day Ghana. He was said to have ruled Dagbon for only seven weeks in 1899 but played an important role in the Dagbon chieftaincy conflict.

Bawa Andani Yakubu, MV was a police officer, politician and king. He was an Inspector General of Police in Ghana. He also served in the National Liberation Council (NLC) government. He was the Gushie-Naa or Gushie King until his death.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damba festival</span>

The Damba festival is the largest festival in Ghana, celebrated by the peoples of the Northern, Savanna, North East, Upper East and Upper West Regions of Ghana. In recent times, Damba has become a multinational festival, attracting visitors from all over the world. The festival is annually celebrated in Germany, USA, and UK.

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Nyankpala, with the appelation Beyom Yili, is a town located about 10 miles south-west of Tamale, the capital of the Northern Region of Ghana. The University for Development Studies (UDS) has its premier campus located in the town. This campus is the first of the university's campuses, the first to be established in northern Ghana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingdom of Dagbon</span> Traditional Empire of Dagbon and Kingdom of the Dagomba people in Ghana

The Kingdom of Dagbon (Dagbaŋ) is the oldest and one of the most organised traditional kingdoms in Ghana founded by the Dagomba people (Dagbamba) in the 15th century. During its rise, it comprised, at various points, the Northern, Upper West, Upper East, Savannah Region and North East regions of present-day Ghana. It also covered portions of Burkina Faso, North East Ivory Coast and North West Togo. Since Ghana's independence in 1957, the Kingdom just like all of Ghana's kingdoms and ethnic states has assumed a traditional, customary role.

The Mole-Dagbon, also called Mossi-Dagbon or Mole-Dagbani are a meta-ethnicity and western Oti-Volta Gur ethno-linguistic group residing in six present-day West Africa countries namely: Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali and Togo. They number more than 15 million. The Mole/Mossi/Moore people are located primarily in Burkina Faso while Dagbon is in Ghana.

Yendi Senior High School(YESS) is a coeducational secondary school in Yendi in the Northern Region of Ghana. The school was established in 1970, first as a middle-boarding school to enable access to basic education for communities in the Eastern Corridor enclave, before being upgraded in September of the same year to the status of a secondary school. For the first academic year, the school had only a total student population of 77, with 70 boys and seven girls. The first headmaster of the school was Cletus Bernard Teviu. He headed the school for nearly a decade, spanning between 1970 and 1979, and one of the hostels in the school has been named in his honour. In the year 2020 when the school celebrated its 50th anniversary, the total student population was 2,724 and the number of teachers was 121. The school operates as a boarding school, but few students attend as day students.

Yaa Naa Mahamadu IV was the King of Dagbon, the traditional kingdom of the Dagomba people in northern Ghana, from 1969 to 1974.

The Yaa Naa is the king of Dagbon, the country of the Dagomba people. The current Yaa Naa is Gariba II. All lands in the Kingdom of Dagbon are issued in the name of the Yaa Naa. The lion is the totemic symbol of the Yaa Naa. Several tribes are resident within the kingdom. This includes the Konkomba, Bimoba, Chekosi, Basaari, Chamba, Gurusi and Zantansi. The tribes within Dagbon maintains a cordial and respectful relationships, each having a role in traditional affairs. The Gurmas are the Gonje players at the Gbewaa Palace. The Kingship is rotated among two royal houses: The House of Abudu and the House of Andani. Every Yaa Naa traces their lineage to Naa Gbewaa and Tohazhie. Due to intermarriage, Yaa Naas often have heritage from many of the tribes within the Kingdom, not just Dagomba.

The 2002 Dagbon chieftaincy crisis, also known as the Yendi conflict, was a clash between two feuding factions that occurred at the Gbewaa Palace, Ghana from March 25–27, 2002, and resulted in the killing of Yaa Naa Yakubu II and 40 of his elders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gbewaa Palace</span> Royal home of the king of Dagbon kingdom

Gbewaa Palace is the seat of the Yaa Naa of the Kingdom of Dagbon. Located at Nayilifong along the Yendi-Saboba road in Yendi, Gbewaa Palace was named after the patriarch of the Mole-Dagbani people of Ghana. In 1896, The Gbewaa palace was burnt down and plundered during the German invasion of Dagbon. On March 4, 2023, Gariba II cut sod for the redevelopment of the palace.

The Kuga Naa is an elder in the court of the Yaa Naa, in the Kingdom of Dagbon in northern Ghana, and head of a four-member committee that constitute the kingmakers of Dagbon. The current Kuga Naa is Abdulai Adam II. The Kingmakers of Dagbon are the ultimate custodians of the Dagbon constitution, with the Kuga Naa acting as the mouthpiece for the oracle that chooses a new Yaa Naa. The other Kingmakers are Tugurinam and Gomli; who are also courtiers at the Gbewaa Palace, and Gushei Naa; the chief of Gushegu. The first Kuɣu Naa was Naa Sitobu’s younger brother. After him, unlike the other courtiers, this office has been hereditary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gundonaa Samata Abudu</span>

Gundonaa Hajia Samata Abudu is the Paramount woman Chief of the Dagbon traditional area in the Northern Region of Ghana. All women Chiefs in that area are subordinate to her. She heads the Gundogu skin, the female equivalent of the Yendi skin, which is headed by the Yaa-Naa. The Gundonaa is the only Chief, be it male or female, who is able to veto the Yaa-Naa's word. She is assisted in her duties by the Kpatunaa, a female Chief of the Kpatuya clan.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Meet Yaa-Naa Abubakari Mahama II of Ghana". 2019-01-25. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
  2. ↑ "Dagbon outdoors new Yaa-Naa today | GhHeadlines Total News Total Information". ghheadlines.com. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
  3. ↑ "New Yaa-Naa is a God-fearing man - Savelugu MP". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
  4. ↑ "Savelugu chief selected as new Yaa Naa". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
  5. ↑ "From a horseman, farmer to Ya-Naa; Read about the new overlord of Dagbon". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
  6. ↑ "Hail new Yaa Naa; he takes over after 17 years vacuum". Graphic Online. 2019-01-26. Retrieved 2019-02-05.
  7. ↑ "Kuga-Na thanks President as Dagbon outdoors new Ya-Na". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  8. ↑ "Head of Andani family now new Dagbon overlord" . Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  9. ↑ "Savelugu chief, Yoo Naa Abubakar, selected as new Yaa-Naa". www.pulse.com.gh. 2019-01-19. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  10. ↑ MacGaffey, Wyatt (2013). Chiefs, Priests, and Praise-singers: History, Politics, and Land Ownership in Northern Ghana. University of Virginia Press. ISBN   9780813933863.
  11. ↑ "'I'll be devoted to the service of Dagbon' – Yaa-Naa Abukari". January 25, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  12. ↑ "Yaa Naa Abukari Mahama's coronation in photos". Graphic Online. 2019-01-25. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  13. ↑ "Yendi in a frenzy state as new Yaa Naa is outdoored today". www.pulse.com.gh. 2019-01-25. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  14. ↑ GNA (2021-10-04). "Dagbon Traditional Council launches development fund". Ghana News Agency. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  15. ↑ "Dagbon Traditional Council launches development fund". GhanaWeb. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  16. ↑ "READ: Full Speech of Ya Naa Abukari II at the sod-cutting of the Gbewaa Palace Redevelopment Project". GhanaWeb. 1970-01-01. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  17. ↑ "Gbewaa palace reconstruction; Ya-Naa tours resettlement site". Zaa Radio 99.3 FM. 2023-09-22. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  18. ↑ "Dagombas serving as Ambassadors and Consul-Generals donate cash to support redevelopment of Gbewaa Palace". 2023-10-17. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  19. ↑ "Dagbon Traditional Council adopts new constitution to govern its affairs". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 2022-10-20. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  20. ↑ "Dagbon To Review 1930 Constitution". DailyGuide Network. 2020-12-15. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  21. ↑ GTonline (2022-10-22). "Dagbon Traditional Council adopts new constitution to govern affairs". Ghanaian Times. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  22. ↑ "Dagbon Constitutional Review Committee begins work on second draft of the constitution". Zaa Radio 99.3 FM. 2021-09-24. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  23. ↑ "Yaa Naa sets up Dagbon Constitutional Review Committee". The Daily Statesman Newspaper. 2021-01-25. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  24. ↑ "Dagbon overlord supports victims of Akosombo dam spillage". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 2023-11-23. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  25. ↑ Gadafi, Mohammed (2023-11-23). "Akosombo Dam Spillage: Yaa Naa Supports Victims With Food Items". The Custodian Newspaper Online. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  26. ↑ Kamasah, Andreas (2023-11-24). "Ablakwa overjoyed as Ya-Na invites him to palace, makes huge donation to flood victims". Pulse Ghana. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  27. 1 2 Fm, Admin@Nkilgi (2023-11-23). "Ya-Na Donates 100 Bags Of Maize To Buipe flood victims". Nkilgi FM Online. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  28. ↑ "Ya-Na supports Mepe and Buipe flood victims - MyJoyOnline". www.myjoyonline.com. 2023-11-23. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
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