Dagbon Congress Takes JJ To Task

The Dagbon Consultative Congress (DCC) has advised ex- President Rawlings to reflect on the enormous number of precious lives lost during his “sadistic pseudo-revolutional era” and desist from further muddling in the Dagbon crisis.

It noted that the Dagbon crisis had reached its outrageous proportions mainly as a result of the intransigence and uncompromising posture of ex-President Rawlings’ East, North and Central Legon Dagbamba NDC functionaries hiding under the cloak of researchers and lecturers.

The DCC was reacting to a statement made by Rawlings to the effect that he knew the so-called murderers of Ya-Na Yakubu Andani. A statement issued by the Congress, said the DCC was constrained to emphasize that if out of power, Rawlings now claimed to know those who murdered Ya Na Yakubu, “then we challenge him to name those behind the Northern conflict in 1994.”

Below is the full text of the Dagbon Consultative Congress issued yesterday on Rawlings’ alleged claim to knowledge of the killers of the late Ya Na Yakubu

Andani Dagbon Consultative Congress wish to express our regret, disappointment and apprehension over the statement made by Ex-President Rawlings to the effect that he knows the so called murderers of YaNa Yakubu.

Whereas it is not our duty to question his claim, it is however permanent to point out to him that before he names the so called murderers he must first admit that it was his NDC government (with particular Dagbamba) who he his clearly out to back with is holier than thou claim) who in the first instance reduced the late YaNa into a paralyzed lame duck before the March 25-27, 2003 tragedy.

People of wisdom advice against reference to past negative occurrences in the course of dealing with or settling any current disputes. We are however constrained to emphasize that if out of power Mr. Rawlings claims to know those who murdered Na Yakubu, then we challenge him to name those behind the Northern Conflict in 1994 too. He should also give reasons behind his refusal to endorse the 1995 Kumasi Accord brokered by the late Otumfuo Opoku Ware and NPI (Nairobi Peace Initiative).

In the event of naming his perceived murderers of Ya Na Yakubu we promise to complete his list with the names of his Dagbamba NDC and government behind the 1994 Northern Conflict.

It may interest Jerry Rawlings to learn that the inclusion of his name in the list of the dignitaries to be invited to the proposed ALL DAGBON CONFERENCE generated a lot of heated debate and tension among our members, to the extent that some three prominent members have, since the vote to include him embarked on silent protest by playing only passive role in our deliberations.

That is why his utterances on the specific issue of Dagbon Crisis are as regrettable as it is misconceived and counter productive.

We can assure Dagbamba and the general public that we have no business taking any position that could be construed as defending the current government or perceived enemies of Rawlings, but we have a moral duty to state the truth as he himself claims to epitomize since June 1979, in spite of evidence to the contrary as exemplified in the NRC proceedings.

We dare say that if he is looking for a platform to counter the massive evidence of atrocities and cold-blooded murder cases against his AFRC/PNDC (if not against him), his picking the case of YaNa Yakubu and indeed the Dagbon Crisis may turn out to be a wrong option.

Finally, we have already gone a long way to laying the foundation for peaceful resolution of the Dagbon Crisis in concert with Otumfuo and Parliament.

He may have succeeded in leaving the Northern Conflict unresolved. However in the case of the Dagbon Crisis he will not be allowed to scuttle our efforts at resolving the Crisis once and for all time.

We therefore advise Mr. Rawlings to rather reflect on the enormous number of precious lives lost during his sadistic Pseudo - revolutionary era and desist form further mudding the Dagbon crisis, which has reached these outrageous proportions mainly as a result of the intransigence and uncompromising posture of his East, North, South, and Central Legon Dagbamba NDC functionaries hiding under the cloak of researchers and lectures.

Signed ALHAJI MUTA-WAKIL HAMDU (PRESIDENT)

ABDUL-HAMID JEMONI (GENERAL SECRETARY)

SHEIKH S. M. SIBIDOW (COORDINATOR)