Otumfuo Osei Tutu II
Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II lost his cool yesterday when he presented the report of the Committee of Eminent Chiefs on the Dagbon chieftaincy dispute to President Akufo-Addo.
This was when he realized that two of the key stakeholders who should be present at the ceremony, Regent of Dagbon, Kampakuya Naa Abdulai Andani and the Kuga Naa, Adam Abdulai, had decided to absent themselves from the event.
Otumfuo is the chairman of the three-member Committee of Eminent Chiefs which includes the Yagbonwura, Tuntumba Boresa Sulemana Jakpa I and the Nayiri, Naa Bohogu Abdulai Mahami Sheriga.
Concern
In the course of the presentation of the roadmap, the Asantehene inquired of the whereabouts of the two but was unfortunately told they claimed to be unwell for which reason they could not attend the event.
But he would not take that, knowing how far the two other aged colleague members of the Group he was chairing had come.
Warning
“We will have to take very serious decisions on those people because I cannot countenance anyone holding Dagbon or this country to ransom because of their personal issues; Dagbon is at peace and all the others are here. The Regent was not envisaged to be a Ya Na. He was supposed to be a Regent for a period so that the funeral of Na Mahamadu and Naa Yakubu Andani can go on and then we have a new Ya Na and then for him to have taken that position because this commission invited him a couple of times to come to meet us so that we could discuss his concerns and then we could factor that into our decisions.”
Much as he appreciated the fact that they have lost their parents, the Asantehene had a cause to issue a stern warning, saying “but to hold us to ransom so that Dagbon cannot move on; I will die and Asanteman will continue.”
He recalled with nostalgia the ordeal that he and his other eminent chiefs have had to endure these 16 years at the hands of some of these stakeholders with their seeming foot-dragging, all in the name of finding an amicable settlement for the impasse which often hits a snag.
That, he said was because “I have told them that if anyone has any evidence to the effect who killed the Ya Na, I have told them to present their report to us and then we will alert the security agencies to investigate and prosecute. I told them that if you have any evidence as to why and who killed the Ya Na, bring it.”
Revelations
At a point, the Otumfuo revealed that “they (referring to the Regent and his cohorts) brought a lawyer to come and see me about an issue in court. Their issue was that the Abudus have taken them to court and got their judgment to the effect that the Kampakuya had to initiate the funeral and he was contesting that; I said fine, get the Kampakuya to come and then we will listen to their concerns and factor that into the settlement.”
According to him, “The lawyer came to see us and then it got to a point the lawyer was no longer even responding to calls from my office….and the Kampakuya too, forgetting that it is the same committee that appointed him and made him the regent of Dagbon.”
Caveat
He, therefore, said “you cannot benefit from the committee’s decisions and still refuse to appear before the committee; that cannot be allowed.”
There were times that he indicated that “the Abudus [also] accused the committee and me of not listening to their concerns and there was a time the Andanis also accused me of not listening to them. But I told them I’m a father to all of them and I need to be fair. The Yagbonwura and the Nayiri are your fathers too and we don’t benefit in anyway. I have relations with Dagbon and they know that one of their leaders married an Asante Princess and that is how come they are my children and therefore they know that I seek to benefit from peace in Dagbon, and not supporting one family because they are all my children.”
The Asantehene added“what we needed to do was to go by their customs and traditions and make sure that we have peace and the truth was the only thing that we sought for which was custom and tradition. And therefore to allow the Kampakuya and his brothers to hold Dagbon to ransom, we cannot accept it because all of us here are prepared to move on and have the funerals of Na Mahamadu and Na Yakubu to be performed and then a new Ya Na.”
Nana’s Joy
An obviously elated President Akufo-Addo, who spotted an African print with the proverbial broom imprint signifying strength in unity, could not hide his excitement.
He commended members of the Committee of Eminent Chiefs for bringing a semblance of peace and near-finality to the long-drawn Dagbon chieftaincy crisis.
“As I have said on many occasions, I am not a Dagomba, and I, therefore, cannot be an Andani or Abudu. I have no candidate for the office of Ya Na. That is a matter for the people of Dagbon. I am just an ordinary Ghanaian who wants to see the peace, progress and prosperity of all parts of our beautiful country, without any discrimination or differentiation,” President Akufo-Addo noted.
For him, the time has come for Dagbon, which has been scarred by decades of conflict to be restored to its former glory and greatness.
“The conflict in Dagbon has dragged on for so long that many Ghanaians, including some sons and daughters of Dagbon, had become skeptical about the ability to resolve the matter, and secure enduring peace in Dagbon.”
The President stressed, “I was never one of the skeptics. I have an unshakeable faith in the capacity of the Ghanaian people to resolve their own problems. That faith has paid off.”
He described the roadmap as an important milestone in the decades-old search for a permanent solution to the Dagbon crisis.
Historical antecedent
With the killing of the late King of Dagbon, Na Yakubu Andani, on 27th March, 2002, President Akufo-Addo indicated that that terrible event shook the entire country with grief, horror and deep regret.
However, “upon becoming President of the Republic, on 7th January, 2017, I was determined to help bring finality to the matter, and in the process, witness the enskinment of a substantive Ya Na for the people of Dagbon.”
The President continued, “I did indicate, in October 2017, that I wanted to celebrate the Damba festival with the people of Dagbon, with a new Ya Na sitting in state, before the end of 2017. Alas, that was not to be. Nonetheless, I am fully expectant that, soon, I shall be celebrating Damba with the people of Dagbon in the presence of a substantive Ya Na.”
He said that Dagbon, one of the most ancient traditional states of Ghana’s history, is generally recorded by historians to have been founded in the 14th century, even before the Asante Kingdom was established in the latter part of the 17th century.
Going Forward
The people of Dagbon, he stressed, justifiably ought to be proud of this heritage, and guard it jealously, adding that “an important contribution to this is to consolidate the culture of enskinning Ya-Nas without hitch, confusion or bloodshed.”
President Akufo-Addo urged the people of Dagbon to give peace a chance, adding that “it is attainable, in my view, if there is a will, and a readiness to compromise.”
He indicated that for an ethnic group with no clan cleavages, they have the best opportunity to mend fences, restore the dignity of their kingdom, and ensure the forward march of Dagbon.
“In so doing, they must learn to accommodate one another. I would appeal, from the bottom of my heart, to the Kampakuya Na and the Bolin Lana, the sons and regents of Naa Yakubu Andani and Naa Mahamadu Abdulai, respectively, young men with bright, promising futures before them, to rise above the passions that have fuelled the disputes that have marred Dagbon,” the President said.
As an expression of their love for their people, President Akufo-Addo urged the Kampakuya Na and Bolin Lana to help in the effective implementation of this roadmap to bring lasting peace to Dagbon, and lay the basis for its rapid development.
“The overwhelming majority of the people of Dagbon, especially the youth, are tired of this age-old conflict, and just want the opportunity to enhance their lives in normalcy and security,” he added.
Resolution
The President reiterated the commitment of government to providing the requisite financial, material, moral, physical and security resources necessary for the sustenance of the peace process that has been embarked upon.
Even though government has already spent a huge amount of money in maintaining peace in Yendi over the last 16 years, he gave assurance that government will not relent in its determination to help foster, again, peace and unity in Dagbon.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent