Nayiri rejects Otumfuo’s Bawku mediation report, describes it as biased and procedurally flawed

The Nayiri, Naa Bohugu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga, Overlord of Mamprugu, has formally rejected the mediation report on the Bawku Chieftaincy Dispute presented by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, describing it as flawed, biased, and procedurally unsound.

In a statement released on December 17, 2025, the Nayiri said the report, which was presented to President John Dramani Mahama a day earlier, “does not reflect my engagements with Otumfuo, nor those of my duly constituted mediation team.”

“I therefore formally reject the report and recommendations in its entirety,” he declared.

According to the Nayiri, the report goes beyond the scope of mediation by attempting to pass judgment and prescribe enforcement measures, which he said is inconsistent with the principles of mediation.

“The report purports to pass judgment and to prescribe measures for enforcement, acts wholly inconsistent with the nature, limits, and essence of mediation,” he stated.
“At no point were the parties invited to engage with, comment on, or respond to the conclusions said to have been reached.”

He further criticised the report for what he described as factual inaccuracies and apparent bias.

“The report is replete with personal assertions attributed to the mediator and manifestly favours one party’s narrative while almost entirely omitting Mamprugu’s case,” the statement said.
“It is entirely false to suggest that I ever agreed to the continued recognition of Aninchema as Bawku Naba.”

Expressing concern about indications that government may act swiftly on the report, the Nayiri cautioned against any hasty decision-making.

“I am further alarmed by statements suggesting that the government intends to issue a definitive position within twenty-four hours based on this report. Such an approach will not advance the peace we all seek,” he warned.
“I urge the President to engage fully with all parties and with the mediator before taking any action founded upon this deeply flawed document.”

Reaffirming Mamprugu’s position, the Nayiri stressed that the kingdom would not relinquish any of its ancestral lands.

“Not even an inch of Mamprugu’s ancestral heritage will be ceded to anyone, especially through an unjust and clearly orchestrated process,” he said, while urging his people to remain calm and law-abiding.

He insisted that the mediation process failed to achieve consensus.

“I stress that this so-called mediation ended in a clear DEADLOCK, with no consensus reached between the parties,” he noted.

The Nayiri added that any mediation report should have complied with the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act, 2010 (Act 795) by reporting the deadlock rather than drawing conclusions.

“It was therefore my reasonable expectation that any mediation report would remain within the limits prescribed by law, rather than purporting to reach final determinations or legal conclusions—especially where law was never argued, and where the mediator is neither judge nor arbitrator,” he said.

He concluded by stating that further engagement with Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and the Government of Ghana will continue, promising to issue a more comprehensive statement in due course.