Savannah News Online Reporting Only What Matters Most
Related Articles
Little is known about the newly-enskinned King of Dagbon (Ya Na), Na Alhaji Abukari Mahama II who is said to go by the skin name, Na Gariba II.
Ya Na Gariba II, immediate past Chief of Savelugu (Yo Na) is a son of Ya Na Mahan-Kpema, who was the great grandfather of the immediate past Regent of Dagbon, Kampakuya Na Abdulai Yakubu Andani.
Ya Na Mahan-Kpema is the grandfather of the immediate past Ya Na Andani Yakubu II and father of Na Mahama Andani III (1968-1969).
Ya Na Gariba II is also a paternal uncle to the late Ya Na Abdulai Andani Yakubu II, making him a grandfather to the Kampakuya Na, Regent of Na Abdulai Yakubu Andani II. This also makes Ya Na Gariba II the Daŋ-kpema (Family Head) of the Andani Royal Family.
The mother of Ya Na Gariba II hailed from Chaazaandaan-Yili near Kulunkpegu in the Northern Region.
Ya Na Gariba II first settled in Puriya, a village after Sang on the Mion-Yendi road, as a peasant farmer.
He was enskinned the chief of Kpunkpono, a small farming community in the Mion District by his nephew, late Ya Na Abdulai Yakubu Andani II in the late 90s.
Well over a decade later when Savelugu became vacant, his grandson, then-Kampakuya Na Abdulai Yakubu Andani, who was acting Overlord of Dagbon enskinned him as the Yo Na.
On Friday, 18 January 2019, Dagbon Kingmakers, led by Na Yeb’ Kuɣna selected Yo Na Alhaji Abukari Mahama II now Ya Na Gariba II as the King of one of the oldest monarchies in sub-Sahara Africa (Dagbon).
The new Ya Na is believed to be the reincarnate of Ya Na Gariba I, one of the most successful Ya Na in Dagbon history because both have Mahama as their surnames and both were over 70 years before their ascension to Yeni.
Also, Na Gariba I is believed to have had a very healthy relationship with Asanteman (Ashanti Kingdom), to an extent that an Asante Princess was married off to him Na Gariba.
With the Asantehene leading a Committee of Eminent Chiefs to guide Dagbon to the current peace processes, many Dagbon historians believe that is a reincarnation of the healthy relationship between the two traditional kingdoms in the past.
By Mumuni Yunus Yirifa, Secretary, Dagbon Journalists Association.
