Ghana is mourning the loss of one of its most revered traditional leaders and scholars, Wulugu Naba Professor John Sebiyam Nabila, who passed away in October 2025 after a short illness in Accra. He was 85.
Professor Nabila, born in 1940, served as Paramount Chief of the Wulugu Traditional Area in the West Mamprusi District for over three decades, leaving an enduring legacy in both traditional and national governance. He also held the title of Chief of Kpasenkpe, the maternal home of former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
His leadership extended across communities such as Duu, Nabari, Wulugu, Nameyela, Sariba, Arigu, and Dibsi Arba in the North East Region. His burial is scheduled for November 17 in Kpasenkpe, following traditional rites.
A distinguished academic and statesman, Professor Nabila served as President of the National House of Chiefs from 2008 to 2016, where he championed chieftaincy reforms and authored the National House of Chiefs’ Code of Royal Ethics, now a cornerstone document in traditional governance.
Beyond chieftaincy, he played major roles in academia and politics, serving in the Limann administration as Minister for Information and Tourism, and later as Minister for Information, Presidential and Special Affairs. At the University of Ghana, he rose from lecturer to Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Geography and Resource Development.
He was deeply involved in community development, advancing education, water projects, and healthcare in his traditional area. His balanced leadership—rooted in both tradition and modern governance—earned him national admiration.
Tributes have poured in nationwide, with Dr. Tiah Kabiru, MP for Walewale, describing his death as “a huge blow to the Walewale Constituency and Ghana at large.”
Professor Nabila’s passing marks the end of an era for Mamprugu and Ghana’s traditional leadership. His influence will continue to inspire generations across the country.
