ENSKINMENT OF "TENDAMBA" AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON THE ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF TAMALE METROPOLIS IN THE NORTHERN REGION OF GHANA

Abstract

Within the West African Sub-region, Ghana enjoys considerable peace compared to Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and others. The Northern Region, in particular has witnessed protracted conflicts over chieftaincy such as the succession dispute between the Abudu and Andani Royal Families of the Dagbon Kingdom, the destructive violent conflicts between the Konkombas and the Basari as well as the periodic conflict between the traders and the kingmakers during the enskinment of Tendamba in the Tamale Metropolis.Though the conflict between the kingmakers and the traders is not often as violent as the others, it causes destruction to the socio-economic development of the Tamale Metropolis. Analysing data from both primary and secondary sources, the study found that although the traders refusal to observe the traditional rules, unemployment, particularly among the youth caused the conflict between the traders and the kingmakers in the Tamale Metropolis which is directly linked to chieftaincy. The two agents, the traders and the youth of the kingmakers have failed to abide by the laid down framework on the enskinment processes. These have evoked tensions, mistrust and suspicion among the two agents thereby affecting the development programmes in the area. Given the dynamics of the conflict, only an independent body particularly, non-state actors such as Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have the capacity to initiate a peaceful solution to the conflict.