Abudu Gate Holds Press Conference

Below is the full text delivered at the press conference.

"We wish to apologise for the rather short notice given you for this Press Conference. Nevertheless, you have endeavoured to make it and we thank you very sincerely for your effort and understanding.

When we called our very first press conference about a month ago, on the unfortunate and sad events that occurred in Yendi in late March 2002 we had hoped that both representatives of the Andani and Abudu families would hold themselves in check and allow the measures put in place by Government to investigate fully the unfortunate fratricidal violent confrontation that occurred in Yendi, so that no press conference would be necessary until all investigations had been completed.

Whilst we on the Abudu side have left the ground quiet to give the investigations a congenial atmosphere to be carried out, and also to heed the call by Government and other well meaning Ghanaians to avoid inflammatory statements on the Yendi events, our brothers on the Andani side have continued unabated their campaign of hate and provocation against members of the Abudu side.

We of the Abudu Gate still believe that it will serve the interests of Dagbon and Ghana better if both sides exhibit a high sense of maturity and responsibility on the Yendi events.

When we take this position it is not that we are not aware of strong rumours about personalities of the Andani side who in fact planned and unleashed the violent clashes in Yendi which eventually claimed the life of the Ya Na and those of others. We are aware of compelling evidence on how they recruited mercenaries from various places to go and fight and eliminate members of the Abudu family in Yendi. The fact that the whole fight was premeditated by these personalities on the Andani side is further evidenced by such Andani people evacuating the Ya Na's wives and other members of his household from Yendi to Tamale. We have left all this for the investigative machinery put in place to uncover for the whole world to see who committed this evil.

We are compelled to hold this press conference because it is necessary and vitally imperative that the spurious and deceptive nature of the Andani Gate campaign be exposed. This is important because even though the case of the Andani Gate is essentially premised on falsehood and wild allegations, they have carried it out with such passion that innocent minds have began to be influenced by it and that accounts for the various calls on government to relieve some members of the Government belonging to the Abudu Gate of their posts.

It is said that the most diabolical rule in propaganda is to manufacture a lie, constantly repeating it and presto! You have a counterfeit gaining acceptance as a currency. That has been the approach and strategy of some of our Andani brothers.

The self-styled spokesmen of the Andani Gate have embarked on press conference after press conference and have planted story after story in some newspapers. They have now resorted to addressing their fabricated stories to international organizations like the UN Agencies and embassies.

Meanwhile the government has taken appropriate actions on the Yendi affair in such a decisive manner as would leave no one in doubt about government determination to get to the bottom of the matter and to resolve the situation in the best possible manner.

The government in the wake of the violent clashes in Yendi apart from promptly sending a preliminary fact finding high-powered delegation to Tamale and Yendi, also put together a three-man team of exalted traditional rulers - Asantehene, Yabonwura and the Nayiri to help resolve the unfortunate conflict.

The government also ordered a thorough criminal investigation by the security agencies into the matter. And now, the government has set up a three-man judicial commission of inquiry chaired by a retired Supreme Court judge. In fact this was the type of Commission of Inquiry the spokesmen of the Andani Gate strongly called for as well as other well meaning Ghanaians including the spokesmen for the Abudu Gate.

The question is, government has taken all these far-reaching and significant steps to resolve the matter, why should the Andani spokesmen intensify the more their moves as if nothing whatever has been done by the government.

The answer is simple. It is not the heart rendering events in Yendi that move this group of persons to embark on their actions. They are propelled in the pursuit of their agenda by political motives, pure and simple.

Who are these self-styled spokesmen? Dr. Wayo Seini was a Vice Chairman of NPP before the 2000 general elections. He desperately fought to be appointed running-mate to Mr. J.A. Kufuor. When he failed in his ambition, he became bitter and subsequently resigned his position as a Vice Chairman of NPP and also said he was withdrawing from active participation in the NPP. When he was not given any appointment in the NPP government his hatred for and bitterness against the NPP government reached dizzy heights. No wonder the blistering attacks on government on the Yendi matter.

Dr. Yahuza Gomda was the personal aide of Mr. Issah Bukari, the NDC candidate who competed with Alhaji Malik AIhassan Yakubu for the Yendi seat in the 2000 elections. He put in everything in the campaign in the Yendi constituency to ensure that NDC won the Yendi seat. Dr. Yahuza Gomda wept bitterly when they lost the seat to Alhaji Malik. No wonder they have been making calls on Alhaji Malik to resign his seat in Parliament.

Dr. Nasser Adam stood on the ticket of the CPP to contest the Choggo/Tishigu elections and lost. He is an avowed opponent of the NPP and would take every opportunity to attack the NPP government.

All the front liners placing press conferences and statements purporting to fight the cause of the Andani Gate are opposed to the NPP government and they sure are using the unfortunate Yendi event to push their political agenda. So let genuine Andani family members beware of such opportunists!

In the Monday, 6 of May 2002 issue of the Daily Graphic, a front page story on why the immediate past Director of the BNI left office attributed the reasons to conflict between the former BNI Director and Gen. Joshua Hamidu claiming that because Gen. Hamidu was not happy with BNI reports sent from Yendi, he refused to work on them and the BNI Director had to send his reports directly to the President. Our information is that, the Daily Graphic story was utterly false. Alhaj A.B.A. Fuseini of the Graphic had his name attached to the story. What those who may have believed that story do not know is that A.B.A. Fuseini is not only a member of the Andani family but a fanatical one at that and he is also an ardent supporter of the NDC. No wonder that fabricated story sought to blackmail Gen. Hamidu the way it did. Obviously, A.B.A. Fuseini's use of state property to propagate his parochial agenda is unethical, and the Graphic Board ought to take a serious view of this and take appropriate action against him for his gross misconduct.

We would want to appeal to all Ghanaians and the International Community who genuinely wish for the actual truth in the Yendi violent clashes which claimed lives including that of the Ya Na to be unearthed not to be misled by those who have their own hidden agenda. We will particularly call on the Ghana Bar Association to be wary of the wild allegations being made by the Andani spokesmen we have referred to. The lawyers very well know that unless there is a prima facie case you do not prosecute or sanction someone others have made wild allegations against.

In this press conference, we do not find the need to try to bust the fabricated stories that are being made against personalities of the Abudu Gate because authentic bodies are in place to investigate and bring out the facts.

We only wish once again to call on our brethren of the Andani family who are genuinely desirous to have the facts and circumstances surrounding the Yendi unfortunate events to be uncovered to exercise a lot more circumspection and avoid further spread of fabricated lies against targeted personalities of the Abudu family. If they have any problem with any of the members of the Commission of Inquiry set up by government they are free to raise their objections otherwise it will do a lot of good for them to hold their peace until the commission comes out with its report.

Thank you once again, ladies and gentlemen, for your patience and time."