Ya-Na Settles Dispute Between Two Communities

Yendi (N/R), July 3, Ya-Na Yakubu Andani the second, paramount chief of the Dagbon Traditional Area, has called on the security agencies to deal drastically with anyone who breaches the peace in the former ethnic conflict areas of the Northern Region. He made the call when he settled a land dispute between Nakpale Bore Mpong, newly elevated paramount chief of Tatale traditional area in the Zabzugu-Tatale District and fetish priests from Binataab and Bulikpale communities at his palace in Yendi. He dismissed the claim by the fetish priests that they were the land owners of the traditional area before the creation of the Tatale skin in 1967, saying that tradition does not allow fetish priests to own land. The Ya-Na, an overlord of the disputed land, asked the two factions to unite and promote peace and development in their locality. Government, he said, is spending millions of cedis to resettle victims of the 1994 ethnic conflict and that whoever wants to disrupt the peace and stability which now prevail must be discouraged. Ya-Na Andani noted that ethnic or clan differences should not be a barrier to co-existence and social harmony.