CHIEFTAINCY SUCCESSION DISPUTES IN GONJALAND; A STUDY OF THEIR MANIFESTATIONS IN BOLE TRADITIONAL AREA IN THE NORTHERN THE NORTHERN REGION OF GHANA

Abstract

There has been several chieftaincy succession disputes in Gonjaland in the last two decades. There were disputes at Buipe, Yapei and Daboya. At the moment, Bole Traditional Area is sitting on a timed bomb. Violence could flare up anytime. What is intriguing about these succession conflicts is that there is a constitution in place which stipulates how chieftaincy skins should rotate among the different gates who are heirs to any thrones. This situation push the researcher to try to find out the sources of the chieftaincy succession disputes in Gonjaland and their manifestations in Bole Traditional Area.”To arrive at this, the study adopted a mixed method design. About 160 respondents were randomly selected through a stratified sampling technique and25 key respondents were added through purposive sampling technique. The data gathered through survey and interviews revealed that the main sources of the conflicts were commodification of thrones, desire to control resources and political influence. It was also revealed that most of the conflicts were violent in nature except Bole whose pot is yet to explode. It was further revealed that the effects of the chieftaincy succession dispute in Bole Traditional Area were division among the people, avoidance of social functions like funerals and naming ceremonies, disloyalty to the Yagbonwura. The Commitee of Elders, the Council of Elders, Oath Taking and Smoking peace pipes are the major conflict resolution mechanisms in Bole Traditional Area.