WHAT REV. PROF. JOHN AZUMAH SHOULD KNOW AND A WORD TO THE YOUTH OF KUSASI

By Alhaji Salifu Hadara

In circulation, a write-up, emanating from, one Rev. Prof. John Azumah, pretending to love the youth of Mamprugu with his disingenuous, illusory, delusional and commoner-like unsolicited advice. First of all, it should be made to him clearly that, the youth of Mamprugu do not need his advice for anything and for that matter, he should redirect his needless advice to himself and the youth of Kusasi he and his likes have over the years deceived into believing that Kusasi own Bawku. Bawku did not start in the 1950s, neither was it founded by any commoner. Bawku was founded by the rulling class (Mamprusi) in the early 1700s and that is what you should be telling your youth but not deceptions that have over time been exposed. 

The youth of Mamprugu want to make it clear without any ambiguity that, Bawku is part and parcel of Mamprugu and any attempt by any commoner to describe the Mamprusi in Bawku as 'small group of Mamprusi' only goes to show how myopic and ill-informed he is.  The Kingdom of Mamprugu transcends the boundaries of Ghana and Bawku is the heart of the Mamprugu Kingdom. What the youth of Mamprugu also want the likes of deceptive Rev. Prof. Azumah to know is that, the 21st century Ghana, has no place for any re-demarcation of any traditional boundary and for that matter, any delusional intentions or actions in that regard should be discarded. Ghanaians who are objective minded and do not fear to tell the truth should ask themselves why, the Mamprusi in Bawku have their settlements in the center of the town, while the Kusasi live at the far outskirts and nearby communities? 

It is a fact that the recent conflict in Bawku started as far back in November, 2021. It is also true that the conflict started in the 1950s within Bawku township which was perpetually fueld by Kusasi politicians as he alluded to in his write-up. Rev. Prof. Azumah should be mindful of his advice, because the youth of Mamprugu are more smarter than he thinks he is. His attempt to create the impression that the youth of Mamprugu are trying to escalate the conflict to the other Mamprugu communities aside Bawku, is far fetched and we will demonstrate to the whole world to know who really started escalating this recent conflict in Bawku. 

On the 21st of December, 2021, just a month after the onset of the recent Bawku conflict, two Mamprusi young men from Gambaga embarked on a business trip with their horse in a tricycle enroute  Kulungugu to transact business. They were gruesomely and painfully murdered in a Kusasi dominated community called Bugri Corner without any provocation. As we speak now, the whereabout of the horse is not known and we can confidently conclude that, the Kusasi bandits, in addition to killing our two brothers, shamelessly stole their properties. The Kusasi have invited the whole of Mamprugu already to the conflict, right from the time they killed the Gambaga two, but as peace loving people and youth who listen to the wise counsel of our elders and our respected King,  we never retaliated. So, Rev. Azumah's naivety on the issue at hand is embarrassing to say the least. He should know that his people (the Kusasi) started escalating the issue outside our beloved Bawku but the youth of Mamprugu never reacted. However, a word of caution to anyone or a group of people who take the patience of the youth of Mamprugu for granted. We are capable and able to defend our Kingdom and our lands.

Deep down Prof. Azumah's heart Mamprusi in Bawku are well educated and are generally civilized people since time immemorial but his trademark is nothing but deception, hence, his attempt to paint the picture that, the Mamprusi in Bawku only pride themselves with royalty to the neglect of education. 

The youth of Mamprugu are proud to be associated with Bawku Naa Sheriga, Alhaji Seidu Abagre, the 15th Bawku Naaba and many other well meaning and highly educated Mamprusi in Bawku. The ungrateful Rev. Azumah and his cohorts grew under the tutelage and nurturing of some of our respected and highly educated Mamprusi in Bawku. In his write-up, Rev. Azumah disgracefully and ignorantly attacked Dr. Issah Imoro, the Grandson of the 12th Bawku Naaba, Naa Saa Wuni Bugri. We are surprise a professor of his stature does not know  that, there are different category of professional Doctorate degrees apart from Medicine. Alhaji Dr. Issah Imoro has a Doctorate in professional Optometry and he is licensed to practice as an Optometrist. Rev. Azumah should be ready for sleepless nights from the respected Mamprusi young man, because, very soon, he will be addressed as Alhaji Dr. Dr. Issah Imoro after completing his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) course he is pursuing. As for the royalty, we understand the pain of Rev. Prof Azumah, because that is the headache of the Kusasi leaders. 

The ingrate Rev. Prof. Azumah is fully conscious and aware of the fact that, he and many of his Kusasi's brothers and sisters in Bawku were fed, clothed and sheltered by the royals (the Mamprusi) in Bawku. He should thank his God, the Mamprusi in Bawku came to their rescue, else, he and his likes would have died out of undernutrition due to extreme hunger, necessitated by extreme poverty, suffered by their families. The Rev. Prof. Azumah does not know any little amount of shame because, if he had known, he would not even write about theft of property. He is aware of the machinations the Kusasi carried out, backed by their politicians, in stealing the properties and lands of the Mamprusi, the first settlers and founders of Bawku. 

The youth of Mamprugu are not moved by any attempt to belittle the Nayiri by the so-called Rev. Azumah. The youth take pride in defending Mamprugu and the revered King, the Nayiri when that arrest warrant was issued. The warrant never served it's purpose and cannot be a stain on the image of our King. What Rev. Azumah should know is that, His Royal Majesty, The Nayiri's regime will be marked as a reign in which the 15th Bawku Naa Sheriga, Alhaji Seidu Abagre was enskined, the  youth resisted government's machinations of all kinds against our kingdom, Kusasi leaders and historians were badly exposed, Aninchema Abugrago, a Yanga turned Kusasi Community Chief in Bawku was made a commoner, just like his father and  the 15th Bawku Naa was sent to Bawku to rule over all tribes in Bawku. We pray for good health and long life for all these to play out while all of us including Rev. Azumah still live on this earth. 

The issue of witchcraft is not peculiar to only a particular community or town in Northern Ghana but it cuts across and Rev. Azumah should know better, in his attempt to denigrate the historical and traditional town of the descendants of Naa Gbewaa. The  witches' camp in Gambaga serves as a safe heaven for any alleged witch who feels threatened by his/her people. Rev. Azumah should know that, the camp shelters many people of different tribes including Kusasi. 

Rev. Azumah also made emphatic comments about Alhaji Sule Yiremia's association with them (Kusasi). He commented that "I am sure Mamprusi elders and opinion leaders have heard the recent disparaging remarks by Sule Yiremia against Nayiri. These are the type of people Kusasi are dealing with." If these comments by Rev. Azumah are anything to go by, then, the youth of Mamprugu have nothing to say than to leave Alhaji Sule Yiremia and his cohorts, if any, to their consciences

 *A Word to the Youth of Kusasi* 

The Kusasi youth across the country should have known by now that their leaders have been deceiving them all this while. Your leaders deceived you into believing that there was a Supreme Court rulling in 2003, in your favour but finally it is revealed that, that ruling is non-existing.  They deceived you into believing that you have history but they were recently exposed by your colleague Kusasi youth, student of history, when he wanted to know the exact history of Kusasi. They never told you all that. All they keep saying is we want to write your own history. Have you ask your leader whether all the history about Mamprusi and the Mamprugu Kingdom were written by Mamprusi themselves. If you have a true history you do not need to write it yourself.  Your leaders equally deceived you into believing that you can chase all the Mamprusi in Bawku out of Bawku but time again has exposed them. Dr. Hassan Ayariga in that same gathering the Kusasi history student exposed your leaders, said that no tribe can chase the other out of Bawku. So, that long deception to you, the Kusasi youth that, you can chase Mamprusi out of Bawku is exposed. Your leaders have been deceiving you into fighting needless battles, leading to lost of precious lives and destruction of properties. Does your leaders bother to know how the widows and orphans who died out of this conflict are fairing? Just know them by their deeds. 

The youth of Kusasi, ask yourselves this question; Are the Mamprusi interested in ruling Zebila and the other Kusasi communities? It is a big no. Why are pure Kusasi being deceived by a Yanga Chief and other mixed tribes' leaders who called themselves Kusasi? Is the Yanga Man, Aninchema Abugrago's so-called chieftaincy older than the chief of Zebila, Kusanaba, Binnaba, etc? The youth of Kusasi, please reason beyond these your selfish leaders, who are on the path of destructions. Say no to the deception of your leaders and upgrade your traditional chieftaincy communities to your desirable status and stop following the Yanga Man who came to Bawku with his father in the 1940's. Note that, the Yanga Man and his father were taken care of by the Mamprusi royals in Bawku as their slaves.

 

The Youth of Kusasi, you should know that, there are pure Kusasi living peacefully and freely in the various Mamprusi communities across the Mamprugu Kingdom and not even a fowl owned by them have ever been killed by anyone. That is why your so-called Rev. Azumah admitted he was able to walk freely in Mamprugu community to conduct research without anybody interested in causing any harm to him. He would have been killed like a fly if he was a Mamprusi found in Kussasi community.  

The youth of Kusasi, tell your leaders that, the deceptions are enough and that you only want peace and development.

In conclusion, Rev. Prof. John Azumah, the youth of Kusasi will forever know who, you and your cohorts are. You are just being deceptive to the youth of Kusasi, regarding the Bawku chieftaincy issue. The youth of Mamprugu are ready for peace and development and do not need you, Rev. Azumah to tell us. The youth of Mamprugu are ready to coexist with all manner of persons, irrespective of their ethnicity, provided, they do not disturb the peace of the area and do not lay false claims of any  part of the Mamprugu Kingdom.

Mamprugu First

We Stand for Peace

Thank you

Long Live Ghana 

Long Live Gbewaa Zuliya 

Long Live Mamprugu Kingdom

Long Live North East Region

Alhaji Salifu Hadara

A Citizen of Mamprugu and Youth Activist.

salifuhadara21@gmail.com