Petition to President

ANDANI ROYAL FAMILY (QUEEN MOTHERS AND PRINCESSES) P. O. Box 277, Tamale Date: November 26, 2007

Your Excellency,

PETITION ON THE FAILURE TO FIND THE MURDERERS OF YA NA YAKUBU II AND MANY OTHERS AND OTHER RELATED MATTERS.

Ever since the gruesome murder of Ya Naa Yakubu II (of blessed memory) and many others at the Gbewa Palace, we the Queen Mothers and Princesses from the Andani Royal Family have desisted from politicizing this callous and heinous crime .

As mothers we have relied on your words in your address to the nation, meetings with our chiefs in Tamale and on your last visit to Yendi when you met with the regent of Dagbon Kampakuya Naa at the Gbewa Palace. In all these meetings you promised to use all the state security apparatus at your disposal to bring to book the perpetrators of this heinous crime.

Your Excellency, your promise to find the perpetrators of the murder of our King and members of our family should not be taken as one of the numerous promises politicians give to the electorate on political platforms. The magnitude and gravity of this crime does not make it possible for it to be swept under the carpet. Your Excellency, remember on January 7th 2001 you swore an oath in which you pledged to do justice to all persons without favour and discrimination. We also want to remind you that under your Presidency some people have been prosecuted before for possession of human parts and others for even killing vultures. So we are quite baffled that for almost six years after the murder of our beloved Ya Naa Yakubu II and many members of our family you and your entire government have been surprisingly very lackadaisical to unravel the so-called mystery surrounding these gruesome murders even though they took place in broad daylight. Your Excellency we hope you do not wish to leave behind a legacy of culture of impunity where people who are supporters of the ruling party can commit all manner of crimes including murder and go scot-free.

Your Excellency, recent developments have made us to confirm our earlier suspicions that your government is an accomplice in the gruesome murder of our King and many members of our family in order to pave the way for the performance of the funeral rites of late Mahammadu Abdulai at the Gbewa Palace. In order to achieve this agenda we strongly believe that was why you entrusted the traditional aspects of the murders to the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Mediation Committee of Eminent Kings. For the past five years the Asantehene Osei Tutu II in collaboration with our cousin the Nayiri who should know Dagbon customs better has used subtle means to coerce our chiefs and opinion leaders to breach our customs to enable the perpetrators of the crime to perform the funeral of Mahamadu Abdulai at the Gbewa Palace. The Kuga Naa and our chiefs have provided all the oral and documentary evidence explaining why Mahamadu Abdulai’s funeral can never be performed at the Gbewa Palace. Inspite of all these, Asantehene Osei Tutu II still insists that we should breach our customs for the sake of his idea of peace and reconciliation in Dagbon. The recent so-called Final Peace Agreement on the Dagbon Chieftaincy Conflict unilaterally drafted by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has finally exposed him as a partial mediator. We can only describe the so-called Peace Agreement document as bogus and fraudulent which is at total variance with Dagbon customs and traditions bequeathed to us since the era of our great grandfather Naa Nyagse. (1416-1432).

We would want to say that we are very much embarrassed and ashamed at the stance of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and the Nayiri Naa Bohagu. We hold the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II in high esteem, because as occupant of the Golden Stool he is an embodiment of pure and unadulterated Asante customs, truth and justice. We least expected him to allow himself to be employed by unscrupulous politicians to do their dirty work for them. We are therefore exhorting Otumfuo Osei Tutu II not to drive a wedge between Dagombas and Asantes. The relationship between Dagombas and Asantes dates as far back as the era of Naa Gariba (1700). By his action we are forced to believe that his intention is to destroy Dagbon rather than build it.

Dagbon state existed for at least 350 years before Asanteman was founded .Our customs handed down to us since the era of Naa Nyagse (1416-1432) can not be breached for the sake of his so-called peace and reconciliation. We are also reminding Otumfuo Osei Tutu II that Dagbon has never been and would never be part of Asanteman. The powers of his Mediation Committee do not go beyond its name “Mediation”. Otumfuo can not therefore usurp the powers of Yogu and Yeni Kpamba (elders of Dagbon). Neither can he teach us how to perform our funerals nor how to consecrate our Kings and chiefs.

It is regrettable that a few Dagomba miscreants aided by some shameless politicians in government have brought Dagbon to this despicable situation. If not for these miscreants what would have brought the whole Dagbon to the Manhyia Palace to be told how to carry out our customs and traditions. Dagbon and Asanteman have nothing in common with regard to customs and traditions to say the least. We are prepared to sacrifice our lives for the sanctity of our customs. The performance of the funeral of Mahamadu Abdulai at the Gbewa Palace is a sacrilege and an affront to our customs. If any body thinks that it is the sine qua non for peace and reconciliation in Dagbon the fellow should rethink.

If Otumfuo Osei Tutu II insists that the funeral of Mahamadu Abduali should be performed at the Gbewa Palace then we would not hesitate to say that he was either part of or gave his blessing to the NPP team including the then candidate J.A. Kuffour who agreed with the Abudu Royal Family to assist them attain political power and they would in turn grant them their wish of having Mahamadu Abdulai’s funeral performed at the Gbewa Palace.

When Ya Naa Yakubu II was assassinated, Dagbon state items were looted from the Gbewaa Palace and their retrieval is still outstanding. The looted items include the following; the throne, leather pillows, cow and lion hides, the state stool, sacred beads, state drums, Royal Sceptre (Damli), state umbrellas and sacred relics. These sacred items are still in the possession of the looters who are the perpetrators of these heinous crimes. We are therefore surprised the two members of the mediation committee ie Otumfuo and Nayiri do not see these to be serious enough a crime and violation of customs to look for justice for their murdered brother but rather their main concern is the performance of the funeral of a deposed Ya Na whose enskinment was declared null and void by the supreme court of Ghana and who died a natural death. They are yet to tell us how the performance of his funeral and the murder of the Ya- Naa are linked.

Besides the stolen state regalia the Ya Naa’s personal clothing, money and those of his wives were all looted from the Gbewaa Palace. All these are yet to be retrieved. The perpetrators must not benefit from their heinous crimes.

We are by this petition reminding Your Excellency to as a matter of urgency allow the security agencies to apprehend the perpetrators and let the laws of Ghana take its due course. Let the criminals know you detest impunity and that is the surest way to peace. We are enjoying a peaceful environment in Dagbon and the North in general; do not stir the honest nest. Your Excellency we are also reminding you that in less than eight weeks Ghana would be hosting the Africa Cup of Nations tournament- dubbed Ghana 2008. Please do not disturb the peace that would lead to Ghana losing the right to host this soccer fiesta. We hope and pray that you and the discerning ones in your government would listen to our cries for justice. Your Excellency, we are not asking for any favours from you. All we are saying is that we of the Andani family also deserve justice as the vultures were given. We pray that the truth would always triumph over falsehood and deceit.

Long Live Dagbon!

Long Live Ghana

Your Petitioners

Signed

Abibata Mahama (Gundo Na)

Fatimata Andani (Kuglogu Lana)

Copies

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Manhyia Palace Kumasi

The Honourable Regional Minister Regional Coordinating Council Tamale

The President N/R House of Chiefs Tamale

The Speaker of Parliament Parliament House State House Accra

The Majority Leader Parliament House

The Minority Leader Parliament House

The Hon. Minister for Women and Children Affairs

The Yagbon Wura Gonja Traditional Council Damongo

The Nayiri Mamprusi Traditional Council Nalerigu

The UNDP Country Representative UNDP Accra.