Bimbilla

Bimbilla
District Capital
Bimbilla Location of Bimbilla in Northern region
Coordinates: 8°51′N 0°4′W / 8.850°N 0.067°W
Region	Northern Region
District	Nanumba North District
Elevation	650 ft (198 m)
Population (2013)
• Total	—
Time zone	GMT
• Summer (DST)	GMT (UTC)

Bimbilla is a small town and is the capital of Nanumba North district, a district in the Northern Region of north Ghana.^[1] It is also the capital of the Nanumba State and the seat of the Overlord of Nanumba, the Bimbilla Naa.

Bimbilla consists primarily of the Nanumba tribe, who are closely related to the Dagomba people of Dagbon Kingdom which includes Tamale and Yendi. The Dagbani language and Nanun language are similar and speakers of both languages are able to speak directly with each other as if in their own languages. According to legend, the founder of Namumba was a junior brother of the founder Dagbon.^[2] The Nanumbas also live with Konkombas who are the majority in the district. Although Bimbilla town is populated by Nanumbas, the ratio of Nanumbas to Konkombas in the whole district is 1:3.Although Nanumbas claim to be the landowners, Konkombas have overwhelming demographic control and political representation than the Nanumbas in the district.^[3]

Bimbilla has been the scene of many ethnic clashes that have plagued Ghana. It was the centre of the Kokomba-Nanumba war that occurred in Ghana in 1994 which saw a lot of people killed.^[4] In the early 2000s the town again experienced a chieftaincy dispute between two factions of the same gate, The Gbugma-Yili gate. In Bimbilla the skin (throne) is rotated between the Bang-Yili and Gbugma-Yili Royal gates.(In that part of Ghana, choice of an overlord or duke is alternated between different gates of the same family. A gate is like a branch of the royal family. The term gate is used to signify the fact that new overlords from the different gates enter the palace from particular entrances after nomination.^[5] Even though one of the contestants, Naa Dasana Dawuni initially won the dispute of who should be the overlord of Bimbilla,^[6] an appeal was made. it was then agreed that until that appeal was heard, there was no recognized Bimbilla Naa or overlord. However the other contestant, the Nakpaa-Naa, Salifu Dawuni who was Chief of Napkaa, died before the appeal proceedings could be completed. A dispute arose over the burial of the Nakpa Naa that lead to the assassination of Naa Dasana Dawuni together with some of his lieutenants in June 2014. This plunged Bimbilla again into a crisis. The central government put the town again under curfew and increased security presence. The Central Government further promised a GH¢ 100,000.00 (equivalent of US$25000) reward for information about the perpetrators of the crime.^[7]

The murder of Naa Dasana Dawuni echoed the murder of the Yaa Naa Yakubu Andani also known as Yakubu II which occurred in Yendi in 2002. That also plunged the Dagbon state into a crisis.^[8] Some prominent people from Bimbilla include Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas.^[9]

Education

Bimbilla has a teachers training college set up by the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in 1962; One secondary school and one Vocational training School which service small villages/towns.

Transport

Road

Bimbila is connected by road to the towns of Salaga and Yendi.

References

1. Nanumba North district
2. http://moledagbon.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-mole-dagombas-mole-dagbani.html
3. http://books.google.com.gh/books?id=ddj7FIkxFu0C&pg=PA145&lpg=PA145&dq=nanumba+state&source=bl&ots=quPYZWxRZf&sig=2-8P0t7hW0TD54KaiyAzqLivudU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jlyxU62oNKTb7Aag44D4DQ#v=onepage&q=nanumba%20state&f=false
4. http://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4be33c.html
5. http://comment.peacefmonline.com/pages/press_releases/201406/205170.php
6. http://www.modernghana.com/news/384058/1/naa-andani-dasana-declared-paramount-chief-for-bim.html
7. Yakubu II
8. Yakubu II
9. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2299229.stm

Coordinates: 8°51′N 0°4′E / 8.850°N 0.067°E