Category: General
Created on Friday, 09 March 2012 13:08
Published Date
Written by XYZ News
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The Andani Royal family has reacted to recent threats by its rival –the Abudus - in the ensuing chieftaincy dispute that has been raging in the Dagbon traditional since 2002.
The two royal gates have been at each other’s throats since the decapitation of the overlord of the area, Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II in 2002. The violent incident also led to the killing of over forty (40) others.
A committee of eminent chiefs headed by the Asantehene has been facilitating a roadmap to peace between the two royal families.
But it appears temperatures in the Dagbon area are reaching fever pitch, a situation that could possibly plunge the area into another round of bloodshed.
The Abudu Royal family held a press conference on Thursday and warned that it is going ahead to perform the final funeral rites of another overlord, Naa Mahamadou Abdulai, who died some years ago.
The family is bitter about what it describes as the constant blatant breach of the peace roadmap by its rival royal family.
The Abudus say, they can no longer stand aloof while the Andanis flout the roadmap by installing chiefs and performing other traditions contrary to agreements reached between the factions.
In an interview with XYZ News, the acting Secretary to the Abudu family, Abdula Sadique, said since the current government came to power, the Andani family has been acting in contravention to the laid down rules that the two families agreed on.
He accused the regent of taking decisions that are fuelling the stalemate.
“As I speak now, since 2009 till now, the regent has appointed over 22 chiefs which is against the road map. If you look at the roadmap, it states that the powers of the regent are limited. He is not supposed to appoint new chiefs and he is not supposed to [expend] resources or land until we get a [substantive] Ya-Na. As we speak now, he is doing it.”
He insists that there is no peace in the area and that if anyone says that the area is peaceful, the person will be peddling untruths.
He said the spokesperson of the Andani had already described the roadmap as useless and bogus and therefore the Abudus do not see why they should allow themselves to be played.
But Alhaji Sahanaa Abdul Latif, spokesperson of the Andanis in a reaction described the allegations as untrue. He said the regent, Kampa Kuena, is the legitimate kingmaker of the Dagbon traditional area contrary to the accusations from the Abudu family.
He indicated that it is untrue the area is not peaceful, asking “What does he mean that there is no peace in Dagbon? Nobody is at war with the brother or the sister. Dagbon is enjoying peace as I speak to you now. That is why we have investors coming in.”
He said the Abudus abandoned the committee of eminent chiefs halfway through the process and therefore should stop crying wolf.
“I want to tell my brother that they should let all of us have peace, enjoy peace and most especially in an election year, we should let Ghana be a beacon of hope. The black star that we all know Ghana to be, it should be the black star of Africa.”
He admonished the Abudus to join them to show the world that they can solve their problems among themselves and stop the bickering.
Alhaji Latif stated that the regent has installed some Abudus among the 22 chiefs that have been enskinned so far and there is no discrimination in the process.
“I think that my brothers should reconsider their decision for the sake of posterity.
He said the Andanis consider the late Ya-Na of the area, Naa Mahamadou Abdulai, as the King of the Dagbon traditional area and therefore his children are also entitled to contest for the position of the Ya-Na.
“What we are saying is that if they want to perform the funeral of the late Naa Mahamadou Adbullai, we are not in any way preventing them from performing it but what we said, I remember and if my memory serves me right, is that the funeral should be performed at where he died because he did not die on the skin.”
