Open Letter To ?Some Few Reasonable Persons?

...In The Npp Government And Party.

FINAL PART

In Dagbon custom any chief who attains his chieftaincy skin or title direct from the Ya Na has among the elders of the Ya Na who he is responsible to So when such a chief dies it is only the Ya Na?s elder who supervises that chief?s regent?s installation and the final funeral rites and no other chief or person can do that. The installation of the regent or the final funeral rites is given with the approval of the Ya Na or his regent as the case may be.

The Abudu gate has gone ahead to illegally install regents at Gbirimani, Salinkpan and Zanduli. All these illegal acts have been done with the knowledge of Regsec.However what took place in Gusheigu on Friday 17th February 2006was a clear manifestation of the agenda of the Abudus and the NPP government to destroy Dagbon. When rumours were rife that there were attempts to install a regent at Gusheigu some of us swept it under the carpet; since we thought it was not possible without the burial of Ya Na. It is only Ya Na or his regent who can authorize the installation of the regent through Zohi Na. Later some elders of Gusheigu led by the Kpashei Na approached Kuga Na acting President of Dagbon Traditional Council for permission to install a regent. Kuga Na drew the attention of Kpashei Na and his group that if they did not know Dagbon custom he would teach them. Kuga Na referred them to Zohi Na who is the rightful traditional authority to grant them permission. The chiefs then went to the traditional landlord of the Gushei Na (i.e. Zohi Na) and put their request before him. The Zohi Na reminded the delegates about the three request they made when the Ya Na was alive for the installation of a regent and any time the time came they postponed it without any explanation. The Zohi Na told the delegates that he derives his authority from the Ya Na or his regent as the case may be. He told the delegates to go back to Gusheigu and return when the Ya Na has been entombed and his regent enskinned then he could then seek permission to get them their regent. With their agenda no more hidden they openly declared that with or without permission they would go ahead and install their regent. Credible information available showed that the purported illegal installation had the backing of the Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama and Ghana?s High Commissioner to Nigeria General Joshua Hamidu. Some chiefs from the Gusheigu traditional area who were once regents of the Gusheigu skin saw a looming crisis and wrote to the Regsec informing the council (i.e. Regsec) that they would not tolerate any act that would breach Dagbon custom. The chiefs who protested against the illegal installation were : 1. Funga Na Issah Sugri ? Regent of Gushei Na Sugri (Senior brother of Gushei Na Bawa Yakubu) 2. Yogu Na Yakubu Andani ? Regent of Gushei Na Yakubu 3. Nanga Na Abukari Ziblim ? Regent of Gushei Na Ziblim

The Regional Minister Honourable Boniface Abubakari on receiving the letter from the above chiefs invited them together with the Kpanshei Na and his group so as to reach a compromise so as to prevent a breach of the peace in the area. The meeting was convened at the premises of the Regional Coordinating Council and the two sides made their positions known.

Before then the Kuga Na who had been briefed by Zohi Na wrote to the Regsec protesting about the illegal installation since it was a breach of Dagbon custom and an attempt to undermine his authority as acting President of Dagbon Traditional Council. The Yagbon Wura the overlord of Gonja land on hearing of this illegal act wrote to the Regional Minister advising against the installation. The Yagbon Wura is also a member of the three eminent chiefs appointed to help resolve the Dagbon crisis.

At the meeting convened by the Regional Minister the Regional Minister ignored the advise of the Kuga Na and his own overlord the Yagbon Wura even thogh he claims to be a Gonja Prince. I doubt whether the Ashanti Regional Minister Honourable Sampson Kwaku Boafo can ignore the advice of the Asantehene due to political pressure from the castle. At the said meeting the Deputy Northern Regional Minister Mohammed Amin Adam ordered the two groups to back to Yendi and put pressure on the Kuga Na to accede to their request. The young Deputy Minister who is testing power for the first time remarked that because no pressure is put on the Kuga Na he interprets Dagbon customs to suit his whims and caprices. It is unfortunate that Mohammed Amin Adam who has no home other than Dagbon should be basking under political power and insults no other chief but the Kuga Na. My advice to the young Deputy Minister is to tread cautiously. If he intends to live long and enjoy a happy and peaceful life he should learn to respect our chiefs and elders. The young minister should find out from former Regional Minister Ebenezer Adam (Salinsa bilkobgu) and Alhaji Hudu Yahaya. The meeting ended in a deadlock as both sides stuck to their guns. The Regional Minister then advised the two factions to get back to Gusheigu and reach a compromise. After they had reached a compromise they could both send a delegation to Yendi to meet the Kuga Na and seek proper customary permission. . and report back to him and Regsec.

The Kpanshei Na faction ignored the Regional Minster?s advise and told the Regional Minister and Regsec that they were not goiug to follow any Dagbon custom.and that they would go ahead and install the regent. That if any Ya Na should in future find out that the regent was not customarily enskinned he could order a reinstallation of the regent..

The three chiefs who opposed the illegal installation warned the public against attending the ceremony.

Preparations were however far advanced for the illegal ceremony with the support of government. The Regional Minister continued his double standards, hypocrisy and lies by telling the media that he was waiting to hear from the two sides. Kwabena Agyapong Press Secretary to the President in his usual arrogance warned so called troublemakers and that the government would deal ruthlessly with so called troublemakers.

Come Friday 17th February 2006 the whole Gusheigu township was filled with policemen to give protection to people who have openly breached not only Dagbon custom but the laws of Ghana because the ban on traditional drumming and dancing imposed by Regsec was still in force. The whole Gusheigu was in a carnival with drummers and dancers from all over Dagbon amidst firing of musketry for the illegal ceremony. Civilians were openly seen brandishing assault rifles in the full glare of the police present. One of the chiefs Banvim Lana Abdulai Mahamadu a known criminal who now calls himself warlord and leader of the Abudu family was escorted out of Tamale by the police amidst drumming. On his return to Tamale on Saturday 18th February 2006 his entourage was seen with AK47 assault rifles openly displayed on his pick-up vehicle escorting him to his village. The Banvim Lana and his entourage passed through police mounted barriers right from Gusheigu through Yendi to Tamale.in broad daylight. So the police on duty at those barriers cannot deny not seeing this criminal of a chief and his gang.

The Regional Minster as usual told the media that Regsec does not interfere in traditional and customary matters. He told the media that Regsec would always provide security to any body who wants to perform his duties. Would the Regsec provide security to armed robbers if they want to rob a bank or a community?

This article is addressed to all who are concerned to warn them of a looming crisis. They should therefore sit up and bring the President and his intransigent and obstinate men in government to order. They should not see it as a Dagbon issue. The ripple effects of the looming crisis may engulf the whole country. So my candid appeal to them and all those in the ruling NPP who claim they love mother Ghana and want to see that President Kufuor hands over a peaceful and united country to his successor that destruction of Dagbon may lead us to similar situations we witnessed in our neighbouring countries.

Our religious leaders, the Ghana Bar Association and civil society organizations have all failed the good people of Dagbon as far as the violation of the right to life of our murdered King Ya Na Yakubu and the 40 martyrs who perished with him on that fateful Wednesday March 27th 2002 is concerned. All the above-mentioned groups have put on the cloaks of hypocrisy and sycophancy under the NPP government.

The Vice President on his last unofficial visit boated openly that if the assemblymen failed to confirm the president?s nominee as the MCE the president has the power to impose him on the people of Tamale. He also warned the people to be wary of power. The Vice President said with power he could celebrate the damba festival in any house. Can the Vice President and the President impose the rejected MCE Alhaji Iddrisu Adam Yogu on the good people of Tamale and since we are entering the month of Damba in less than a week the VEEP should gather all the security at his disposal and come to celebrate the Damba at Gulkpe Na?s palace or Dakpema?s palace. We are waiting to celebrate the Damba with him.

To all those who want to see Dagbon destroyed for what ever motives Insha Allah they would not succeed. . Dagbon has existed for the past 800 years. The battles our fore fathers fought at Adibo and Sang against the Germans could not destroy Dagbon. Dagbon our motherland would over come these trying moments we are going through.

Long Live Dagbon

Long Live Ghana