State Of Emergency In Dagon To Be Lifted

The Resolution for the extension of the State of Emergency in the Dagbon Traditional Area was defeated on Tuesday when the majority side failed to get the 101 (simple majority) votes to legitimize it.

After debate on the extension was completed and the vote was cast the Majority side had 88 votes as against 73 votes by the Minority side to defeat the motion to sustain the curfew and state of emergency.

The Minority side contended that the State of Emergency had outlived its usefulness since the two factions have agreed to let peace prevail while the people were living in perpetual human suffering and development has stalled in the area.

This is the 11th time that Parliament has reconvened to consider the extension of the State of Emergency in the Dagbon Traditional Area.

These came about at the emergency sitting of Parliament to consider the Motion on the extension of the state of emergency in the Dagbon Traditional Area for a further period of one month after its expiry on April 17, 2003.

Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, Minister of Defence and acting Minister of Interior in moving the resolution for the extension said over the last month since the passage of the last resolution, the search for lasting peace and reconciliation has been moved forward.

He said the two gates of the Andani and Abudu families at a meeting in Tamale promised to co-operate and ensure that peace was restored in the Dagbon Traditional Area to enhance the socio-economic development of the area.

Dr. Addo-Kufuor said there was however one point on which agreement could be reached and this concerned the State of emergency and the imposition of the curfew. Whereas the Andanis suggested that the curfew be restricted to Yendi alone, the Abudus were of the opinion that the time was not ripe to lift the state of emergency or the curfew.

The security agencies were of the opinion that the state of emergency be maintained since it gives them the power to act should the peace be threatened.