Three youth from Abudu gate died in clashes

Tamale, Aug. 28, GNA - Three youth from the Abudu Gate died in clashes with security personnel on Friday, when they attempted to occupy the old Gbewaa Palace at Yendi.

Two of them, who sustained injuries, are on admission at the Tamale Teaching Hospital. No arrest has yet been made and the police are investigating the clashes.

An Abudu Chief, Nanton-Naa, Alhassan Sule at a Regional Security Council (RESEC) meeting in Tamale on Saturday, said the delay in performing Ya-Naa Mahamadu Abudulai funeral after the burial of Ya-Naa Yakubu Andani II and the subsequent enskinment of his regent, sparked off the clashes.

He also alluded to a letter written by the Andanis to the Otumfuo Committee of Eminent Chiefs, which suggested that the "Roadmap to Peace" document was not going to be honoured.

The government formed the Otumfuo Committee of Eminent Chiefs to oversee the traditional aspects of finding solutions to the Dagbon chieftaincy crisis.

The Abudus appealed to the Otumfuo Committee to speed up the process to allow them to perform Naa Abudulai's funeral as contained in the document.

Paragraph 9 of the Memorandum of Understanding to the Roadmap of Peace states: "There can only be one palace in Dagbon Kingdom. The temporary palace was constructed following the unfortunate incident of 2002. In this connection, the old Gbewaa Palace should remain free of occupation or any activity until a date is set for the performance of the funeral rites of Naa Mahamandu Abudulai"

Paragraph 6 also states: "The powers of the regent shall be limited because of the peculiar circumstances in Dagbon today. In this context the regent shall not have powers to appoint any chiefs or alienate any lands or other resources belonging to the Dagbon State

Paragraph 10 among others affirms: "The Eminent Kings shall agree upon a time frame with all the parties within which the respective funerals of the late Ya-Naas shall be performed." But they did not give time frame for the implementation.

But the Andanis said they had absolute confidence in the "Roadmap" agreement.

The Kumbun-Naa Abu Yiri said the Andanis had no intention whatsoever to derail the process, saying: "We only raised our concerns in the letter but not objections to the peace process. "We want a united Dagbon and we have nothing to gain if we cause troubles", he said. Some of the concerns raised in the letter are: "It would be logical and indeed legitimate that the funeral rites for the late former Ya-Naa Mahamadu Abudulai should not be performed at the temporary or the old and defiled Gbewaa Palace. "Curtailing the Regents authority and powers amounts to a clear violation of our Dagbon custom, as regards the authority and powers traditionally vested in the Regent of a deceased Ya-Naa". The Northern Regional Minister Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris and members of the RESEC, who met with the two Royal Gates in the Dagbon Chieftaincy to discuss issues concerning the clashes, urged the two Gates to be law abiding.

Alhaji Idris said perpetrators of the clashes would be severely dealt with and appealed the chiefs and elders to instil discipline in the youth to refrain from taking the law into their own hands at the least provocation.