The Gonja people of Mampong, located in the Akuapem North Municipality of the Eastern Region of Ghana, have welcomed their newly installed Gonja Chief and Queen Mother. The new chief will be known as Awudu Takorah III, while the Queen Mother assumes the title Mamata Jumai.
The colorful installation ceremony took place on December 14, 2024, at Mampong Zongo, creating excitement across the Gonja community. Following the ceremony, Awudu Takorah III was formally introduced to the head and members of the Besease family in Mampong.
The Head of Family (HOF) for the Gonja community, Issah Sulemana, and the Abusuapanyin, Abusuapanyi Asino, who heads the Besease Family, played pivotal roles in the ceremony, underlining the significance of their leadership in strengthening communal bonds.
Historically, approximately 100 years ago, ancestors of the Gonja people from Daboya in the Savannah Region settled in Mampong-Akuapem, where they were granted land by the Besease Family. This relationship was built on shared Guan ancestral ties, with the Besease Family serving as the allodial owners of Mampong Zongo lands.
Speaking after the ceremony, a Gonja resident expressed gratitude to the principal elders for their role in installing the new chief and queen mother. He highlighted the community’s hopes that Chief Awudu Takorah III would foster unity within the Zongo community, strengthen ties with the people of Mampong, and drive development across the Eastern Region. The resident further emphasized expectations for improvements in infrastructure, social interventions, and overall progress under the new leadership.
In his private life, Chief Awudu Takorah III, known as Mr. Awudu Sannie, resides in the United Kingdom, where he works as an IT professional specializing in the Management of Business Information Technology.
The installation of the new chief and queen mother marks a significant milestone for the Gonja people of Mampong, ushering in hopes for a united, thriving, and prosperous community.
