Ya-Na appoints retired agric officer as new Mion Lana

The Overlord of Dagbon, Ya-Na Abukari II, has appointed Alhassan Mahama as the new Paramount Chief of the Mion Traditional Area, following the completion of the final funeral rites of the late Mion Lana, Abdulai Mahama.

Naa Alhassan Mahama, now bearing the title Mion Lana Alhassan II, was enskinned at the Gbewaa Palace in Yendi on June 3, 2025, and subsequently moved to Mion to officially occupy the prestigious skin.

A retired agricultural officer with extensive experience across various districts, including Damongo, Walewale, Saboba, and Bunkpurugu, Mion Lana Alhassan II brings to the chieftaincy institution decades of public service and dedication to agricultural development.

He is married to three wives and blessed with 10 children — six sons and four daughters, with fifteen grandchildren.

Mion Lana Alhassan’s academic journey began at the Yendi Primary School in 1960, after which he attended the Naa Yaakuba Middle School in 1967, and then the Yendi Secondary School in 1970.

After completing his secondary education, he worked as a pupil teacher in 1976 before joining the Ministry of Food and Agriculture in 1978 as a Plant Quarantine Officer.

In 1988, he was admitted to the Agricultural College in Nyankpala, where he obtained a diploma in agriculture. He was posted to Gambaga upon completion in 1990 and later transferred to Bunkpurugu in 1999, where he served until his retirement on February 1, 2013.

Throughout his public service career, Mion Lana Alhassan II distinguished himself with dedication and professionalism, particularly in the area of plant protection and regulatory services.

As he assumes the revered skin of Mion, Mion Lana Alhassan II is expected to play a pivotal role in promoting peace, unity and development within the Mion Traditional Area and the greater Dagbon Kingdom.

His deep-rooted background in agriculture and governance is seen as an asset for the community, as it seeks to address contemporary development challenges.

Background

Mion Lana Alhassan II, who was born in Yendi in January 1952, is the fourth son of the late Ya-Na Mahama Bla, who ruled Dagbon from 1948 to 1953.

Following his father's death, the young Alhassan and his mother returned to her natal home, where he was raised by his maternal family.

His older siblings include the late Ya-Na Abdulai ŋmarigɔŋ (1954–1967), Nasa-Lana Naantɔɣimah, and Nabiyɔŋ Suɣiri.

Mion Lana Alhassan II was selected from among five prominent aspirants from the Abudu and Andani royal gates, including Naa Bapira, Dimon Kutung Lana Alhassan Mahama – son of Ya-Na Mahama Billa (1948–1953), Naa Bapira Karaga Sing Lana Alhassan Mahama – son of Ya-Na Mahamadu Abdulai (1969–1974) and brother of the late Mion Lana.

The other aspirants were Naa Bapira Nasa Lana Alhassan Abdulai – son of Ya-Na Ablabla (1954–1968), Naa Bapira Mion Gban-Lana Alhassan Abdulai – son of the late Mion Lana Abdulai (2019–2022) and Naa Bapira Tampion Lana Alhassan Andani – son of Ya-Na Andani Zolikugli, who ruled for 90 days.