Tolon Paramount Chief Sulemana Abubakari dies

Major (Rtd) Sulemana Abubakari, the Paramount Chief of the Tolon Traditional Area, has passed away. His death follows the recent passing of the Overlord of Dagbon, Yaa Naa Abubakari Mahama II, adding to a period of mourning within the Dagbon traditional kingdom.

Born in 1943 at Tali, Sulemana Abubakari had a career that bridged military service and traditional leadership. He joined the Ghana Armed Forces in 1963 and served as an escort officer to Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, eventually retiring with the rank of Major.

In the traditional hierarchy, the Tolon Naa serves as a senior chief and historically acted as the traditional defense chief of the Dagbon kingdom, responsible for mobilizing warriors. Sulemana Abubakari served as Regent of Tolon for 18 years starting in 2001, before being enskinned as the substantive Tolon Naa in 2019. During his tenure, he contributed to regional development, including the donation of 500 acres of land to the University for Development Studies to support research and agricultural initiatives.