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General News of Thursday, 31 March 2005

Source: Chronicle

I did not chase out Veep -Chief of Tamale

Tamale, March 31, (Chronicle) -- The Chief of Tamale, Dakpena Alhassan, has dismissed reports that he chased out the vice president, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, when the latter called on him last Sunday during a visit to the area.

According to the reports, the Veep went to the chief?s house very late and the wife of the chief asked him to go and return the next day, but the veep could not make it.

The chief of Tamale, when contacted, admitted that the Vice President paid him a courtesy call very late, at about 11:00pm when he was fast asleep from ill-disposition, which warranted his wife asking him to go, and this was not done in an angry mood.

Dakpena Alhassan, in an interview with this paper, vehemently debunked the assertions that he had turned away the Vice president, describing the rumour as a big lie, meant to create confusion between him and the Vice President, as well as the President. He said Alhaji Mahama made an un-official visit to his palace when he was in Tamale.

According to Dakpena Alhassan, though he had not received any official note from the Vice President, he was not surprised at the visit simply because he knew how busy the Veep was.

?There was no way that I could chase out the whole Vice President of the country, who happens to be my ?son? he said.

According to him, his wife, knowing he was suffering from ?sloke? did not bother herself to wake him up, let alone allow the vice president to enter, but politely pleaded with him (Vice) and his team to return the next morning. According to him, his wife had told the vice president, ?I don?t think my husband is aware of your visit otherwise he wouldn?t have gone to bed and would be seated to wait for you.?

Dakpena stressed that, the Vice President subsequently sent someone to come, greet him and tell him of his late visit.

He said the person, however, told him that the vice wanted to come to his palace again, but he had to go to Yapei, where over a thousand people were reported to have been affected by a heavy downpour.

The vice president was in Tamale to bury his brother, Who had died recently. ?I am not happy at all with the way some unscrupulous persons are trying to create confusion between I and the President, as well as his vice. They are my own sons, they respect me and I also like them and respect them as the authorities of this country.?

He recounted and condemned a publication by a Newspaper that had reported that, ?Tamale Chief Blasts Kufuor? which he said was never true.

?I am aware that they are carrying heavy loads, but there has not been a single day that Kufuor and his vice or any other leader has come to Tamale without visiting my palace,? he said.

Chief Dakpena admonished those who were trying to paint him ?black? before the public and the government to put an immediate stop to it.

He has ruled as the Chief of the Tamale Traditional Area since February 20, 1967.