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Opinions of Tuesday, 5 April 2011

Columnist: Tawiah, Francis

Is Rawlings Still Having Information about Ya Na's Perpetrators?

Is The Former President Rawlings Still Having Information about Ya Na's Perpetrators?

I have information on the murder of the Ya Na Rawlings:Tamale, April 3, GNA - Former President Jerry John Rawlings says he has credible information on the murder of Ya Na Yakubu Andani II, the Overlord of Dagbon and some of his elders.

He blamed the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) for rushing the case to court without adequate preparations. He said any attempt to conduct fresh investigations into the murder of the King would be hopeless if it failed to fall within the precincts of the facts of the matter.

If the ex-President Rawlings is in possession of a helpful information why then blaming the NDC for rushing the case to the court? Is he, Rawlings not part of the NDC? Where was the former President Rawlings when the case was pending in the court? For what is he keeping his information and video evidence?

Mr. Rawlings said any attempt to conduct fresh investigations into the murder of the King would be hopeless if it fails to fall within the precincts of the facts of the matter. Well said Mr. Rawlings, then hurry up with you information as well as the fixed video evidence. It is only an evidence that can perfectly lead to the facts of the matter. Talking alone cannot uncover a culprit in the court.

I can't understand why Mr. Rawlings expected the NDC to prepare for the case before sending it to the court because cases are sent to the court so real as they happen, you don't sit down and just phantom a ghost case for the court. That is where and when witnesses to such cases begin to twist their mouths when asked delicate questions. Accused people in such cases too are mostly acquitted and discharged forever. What can we learn form it? Cases prepared for the court contains false allegations.

Fact is, very unfortunately the Overlord Ya Na is of late but who is responsible for it?

Despite this big question, life must go on and the two families Andani and Abudu must find a middle. Peace must find it's way as the middle point and prevail between them. Any other thing like justice can come later on if it should be necessary.

Mr. Rawlings was speaking during a courtesy call on Alhaji Abdulai Ziblim, Regent of Gulpelgu in Tamale on Saturday as part of a fact finding visit to the Metropolis to unveil what led to the destruction of the Northern Regional Secretariat of the NDC by an irate youth on March 29. It was very hypocrite, provocative and politicizing for the former President Rawlings to have made some comments in Tamale regretting that President John Evans Atta Mills Administration had failed to fulfil its 2008 campaign promise to the people of Dagbon to find the murderers of the Ya-na because of gross incompetence in handling the case. Why am I saying this? because both Rawlings and Mills in their 2008 campaign promised heaven and earth to bring the killers of the late Overlord Ya Na to book. Rawlings even went to the extent of promising a video evidence.

The former President however pleaded with both the Andani and Abudu families to reconcile their differences and forge ahead in unity. Why can't the NDC'S stop doing politics with the faith of the Andani and Abudu people and rather help them to find peace? Telling the people to bury their differences and on the other way round saying I have information on the murder of Ya Na. Is this a way of settling matter? Blowing hot and cold!

He expressed displeasure that the party which he founded based on the principles of probity, accountability and justice was being hijacked by some elements of the government. If the NDC party was really founded with principles and what nots why is Mr. Rawlings still keeping his video evidence and informations. The Accra Fast Truck High Court acquitted and discharged the 15 Abudu suspects for lacking evidence and informations, while the former president Rawlings a key member of the (NDC) Party who sent the case to the court has got such important and relevant materials for the ruling court but would not bring it out.

Former President Rawlings reminded the government of its responsibility to investigate the cases of alleged financial malfeasance that took place during the eight- year rule of the Kufuor administration. What has investigating the cases of alleged financial malfeasance that took place during Kufuor administration got to do with Ya Na's case? Mr. Rawlings! what about the (NDC) Goerge Sipa Yankey's, (Mabey & Johnson) bribery case? "ALL OF YOU, NDC/NPP ARE SITTING IN A GLASS HOUSE" Come CPP or what ever Party they will equally with time find themselves also sitting in that same transparent glass house pushing our money here and there building twin houses. "It can rain secretly in the night but in the morning it becomes an open secret" "Before the NDC government complains about the dirt on NPP compound it must first make sure to clean his own premises" So, Mr. Rawlings "Don't wake the sleeping dogs". "POLITICIAN" IS ONLY A FINE CAMOUFLAGE NAME COVERING "MONEY CONCIOUS PEOPLE" (Mr. Rawlings you may call it "Greedy Bastards", but I will choose to call politicians "Money Concious People)

A representative of the Gulpelgu Regent, Savelugu/Gbanglana Kpema Mohammadu urged the government to review the court ruling on the Ya Na murder trial that led to the acquittal of the suspects. Even though the former president Rawlings visited the Tamale Central Mosque, he could not promise them to hang out his video evidence to the court for a fresh opening of the case.

How can we at last believe in all those selfishness and blindfolding talks to gaining political points. Mark it, since we are heading towards 2012, evidence or no evidence, information or no information very soon they will arrest and present another set of innocent people to be tried in the court as killers of Ya Na, only to deceive voters for the 2012 Elections.

FRANCIS TAWIAH (Duisburg - Germany)