Nayiri Rejects Otumfuo’s Bawku Mediation Report, Describes Process as Flawed and Unjust
Overlord of Mamprugu says mediation process was flawed, legally untenable, and unacceptable to his people
The Overlord of Mamprugu, His Royal Majesty Naa Bohagu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga, has formally rejected a mediation report on the protracted Bawku Chieftaincy Dispute, distancing himself and the Mamprugu people from its conclusions and any attempt by government to enforce its recommendations.
In a strongly worded statement issued on December 17, 2025, the Nayiri described the report presented by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to President John Dramani Mahama on December 16 as procedurally defective, legally untenable, and constitutionally impermissible.
According to the Nayiri, the so-called mediation report does not reflect his engagements with the Otumfuo-led mediation process nor those of his duly constituted mediation team. He stressed that the document fails to meet the basic standards of mediation as required under Ghana’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Act, 2010 (Act 795).
“The so-called mediation ended in a clear deadlock, with no consensus reached between the parties,” the Nayiri stated, adding that any mediation report should have confined itself to reporting that deadlock rather than making final determinations or legal conclusions.
He further revealed that despite several formal requests, no clear Terms of Reference were ever provided to guide the mediation process. This, he said, contradicts the expectations set by both the former President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and the current President, John Dramani Mahama, who would ordinarily have ensured clarity in such a sensitive national matter.
The Nayiri accused the mediation process of sidelining Mamprugu, noting that parties were never invited to comment on or respond to the conclusions said to have been reached. He maintained that any deliberations that led to the report were conducted without the knowledge, participation, or consent of Mamprugu.
He also rejected claims suggesting that he ever agreed to the continued recognition of Aninchema as Bawku Naba, describing such assertions as “entirely false.” According to him, the report contains factual inaccuracies, personal opinions attributed to the mediator, and a manifest imbalance in favour of one party’s narrative.
“The recommendations amount to a unilateral determination imposed without due process, in clear violation of the principles of natural justice,” the statement noted, stressing that the mediator assumed an adjudicative role for which no jurisdiction exists.
While reaffirming his commitment to peace, dialogue, and stability in Bawku and the wider Mamprugu area, the Nayiri insisted that peace cannot be built on injustice, imposed outcomes, or procedurally defective processes.
He called on the people of Mamprugu to remain calm and law-abiding but warned that he would not remain passive in the face of what he described as a carefully orchestrated process designed to prejudice Mamprugu.
The Nayiri also expressed alarm over suggestions attributed to the President that government might issue a definitive position within 24 hours based on the disputed report, urging the President to fully engage all parties and the mediator before taking any action founded on what he termed a deeply flawed document.
“This statement is issued to clarify my position and to prevent misinformation,” he said, urging the media, the public, and all stakeholders to exercise caution and responsibility in characterising ongoing efforts related to the Bawku Chieftaincy Dispute.
He concluded by reaffirming that peace, unity, and justice remain the guiding principles of his engagement on the matter, and indicated that he would further engage the Otumfuo and the Government of Ghana, with a more comprehensive statement to be issued in due course.
