One man lost his life and 387 people were rendered homeless last Sunday when a chieftaincy dispute between two factions at Temaa, a village near Nankpanduri the Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo District of the Northern Region, culminated in a flare up. Thirty-six houses and the only medical facility serving the community were also burnt down in the two-day disturbances. Food stuffs and- clothing were destroyed, and many animals killed. With tension still brewing in the area, the Northern Regional Co-ordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Alhaji Abdulai Mahama Silimboma, led a delegation to the area to assess the extent of damage. The NADMO delegation was assisted by the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo, Hajia Mavis Meliga Bawa, and some officials from the district. During interactions with stakeholders in the village, it came to light that the conflict started following the installation of a new chief by the Overlord of the Mamprusi Traditional Area, Nayiri Naa Bohogu Mahami, for a section of the village. The new chief, who was described by one of the faction as a non-native of the village, was regarded by supporters of the chief of Temaa, Kpanbeng-rana Azomdoo Samari as a rival, and this triggered the conflict between them and the supporters of the new chief. When the delegation called on the Kpanbeng-rana, he expressed regret that people in high-places could wreak such havoc on his subjects. "I am the fourth chief of this village, but there has never been any chieftaincy conflict here until this one was created and imposed on us," he lamented. He called on the DCE and other stakeholders to investigate the root cause of the conflict. He said residents who fled the town as a result of the conflict could return to the village and carry out their normal activities. Both the DCE and the Regional NADMO Co-ordinator appealed to the people to remain calm and not to engage in further clashes while efforts were being made to find relief for them. After assessing the extent of damage, the Regional NADMO Co-ordinator said it would take more than GH¢ I,000,000 to resettle the affected people as most of them had lost every property, including animals, clothing, houses and motorbikes. "As you can see, many of them have lost everything, including foodstuffs, and there is the need for relief to be brought to them immediately before many of them die of hunger," he stated. He, therefore, called on benevolent organisations to come to the aid of the people as they regretted their actions and had pledged to help one another roof their houses. Source: Daily Graphic