Babile gets new chief after 23 years

The kingmakers of Babile in the Lawra Paramountcy of the Upper West Region have enskinned a new chief for the Babile Sub-division after the demise of Naa Harku Dakuar II on 27th January 1999.

Naa Puowelle Karbo III, the Paramount Chief of the Lawra Traditional Area, performed the enskinment rites for Naa Saapiur Dakuar III and the first-ever Queen Mother of the area, Pognaa Yirkuu Dakuar I at the weekend.

The 56-year-old Naa Dakuar, is known in private life as Mr Francis Kadoe Saapiur, an educationist who worked as a subject teacher and Senior House Master at the Prang Senior High School in the Pru District, Bono East Region.

Some chiefs in and outside the Lawra Traditional Area graced the coronation, which was characterized by excitement and a colorful display of the rich culture and tradition of the Babile people.

Addressing scores of participants at the event, Naa Karbo admonished the new chief to live an exemplary life, worthy of emulation, saying: “Your conduct henceforth will be regulated”.
“You are expected to hold yourself out in dignity and not bring your name and the revered institution into disrepute,” Naa Karbo added.

He said being a member of the Traditional Council, Naa Dakuar was answerable to the Paramount Chief. The Traditional Council was made up of eight divisional and eight sub-divisional chiefs, 200 sub-chiefs as well as queen mothers.

Naa Karbo said it was the responsibility of the new chief to shoulder the challenges of the area and work towards mitigating those challenges to attract development to the area and Paramountcy in general.

He also entreated Naa Dakuar to always comply with the laws governing the country and the chieftaincy institution and to perform his duties to the best of his ability.
Mr Vitus Kadoe, the Regent of Babile, said the successful enskinment of Naa Dakuar was historical as the people had hungered for a chief for far too long

He said the last time a similar event happened at Babile was on 23rd December 1993 when the then Paramount Chief of the Lawra Traditional Area, Naa Abayifaa Karbo II, enskinned the then Chief of Babile, Naa Harku Dakuar II.

Mr Kadoe, therefore, expressed the hope that the presence of a chief would help facilitate the development of the area.
“Babile has always been known as a peaceful town and those who are here can testify that anyone who comes here to settle and do business succeeds,” he said.