The Gonjaland Traditional Council, led by its President and King of the Gonja Kingdom, Yagbon-Wura Tuntunba Borisa Sulemana Jakpa, on Sunday, January 16, rejected a Tamale High Court decision which declared Buipe-Wura Abdulai Jinapor II as the legitimate chief of the Buipe Traditional Area. About 16 paramount chiefs of the Gonja Traditional Council, led by the King, deliberated on the Buipe chieftaincy dispute in a crunch meeting in Damongo. Alter several hours of deliberations on the impasse between the two rival chiefs in the Buipe traditional area, the Council members unilaterally resolved to file an appeal at the Appeal Court against the Tamale High Court ruling. Chief Doli-Wura Awushie M.S Zakariah, Public Relations Officer for the Yagbon Kingdom, disclosed the council's resolution to Citi News in an interview. The Yagbon Kingdom PRO, who is also the head of Monitoring and Evaluation at the Controller and Accountant General's Department, added that the council, among other issues, launched a 12-member committee to spearhead the celebration of the 2011 week-long Damba festival. He said the festival would begin on February 22 under the Chairmanship of Lepowura Alhaji M.N.D Jawula. In attendance at the crunch meeting, with the exception of the two rival chiefs, were the Damongo-Wura, Tuntumna Jejelemu II, Kpanshe-Wura A.A Abudu, Bunsunu-Wura Leseini Mahama, Mankpang-Wura S.S Gbankulso, Diberi-Wura Sumaila Ibrahim, Wasipe-Wura Kabasagya II, the Kpembe-Wura Alhaji Harunah Kibasibe and Bole-Wura Gbedese Amankwah. It would be recalled that a Tamale High Court II presided over by His Lordship Kwame Ansu Gyeabour on Thursday, January 12, ruled in favour of Chief Abdulai Jiuapor II, who was purported to have been deskinned by the Gonjaland traditional council as the chief of Buipe. When contacted, Dr. Abdulai Jinapor, senior son of the Buipe-Wura Abdulai Jinapor II, lauded the traditional council's decision. He commended the council for appreciating the fact that the rule of law had taken its course and appealed to residents of Buipe to co-exist peacefully. Dr. Jinapor maintained that his father stood for peace and development, for which reason he would do nothing untoward to bestow hardships on his subjects. Meanwhile, checks in Buipe confirmed that Chief Bawa Jewu Lebu II danced to the Damba festival for three continuous days with his subjects in spite of the court ruling that Buipe-Wura Abdulai Jinapor is the legitimate chief of the Buipe traditional area. The police in the Northern Region on Thursday, January 13, beefed up security in Buipe to maintain law and order following rising tension in the town. Source: Citi FM