Children of the late overlord of Dagbon, Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani II clandestinely used Easter Friday and went on a peaceful demonstration in the Northern Regional capital Tamale.
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Yaa-Naa’s children demands justice
Widows and sympathizers of the late Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani II joined the peaceful demonstration and presented a petition to the Northern Regional Minister for onward submission to President John Dramani Mahama.
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They renewed calls for the arrest and prosecution of the murderers of their late father.
In solidarity, widows and sympathizers of the late Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani II joined the peaceful demonstration.
They presented a petition to the Northern Regional Minister for onward submission to President John Dramani Mahama.
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The petition was headlined, “Petition on the matter concerning the murder of Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani II and towards the restoration of the stability and integrity of the traditional authority in Dagbon.”
Son of the late Dagbon Overlord, Abdulai Yakubu Andani who read the petition told Citi News, “The government of the day embarked on a deliberate attempt at whitewashing this monumental crime with the setting up of the Wuaku Commission: in the process of manipulating investigations, the Commission preferred charges which do not exist in our statute books on some two individuals thereby ensuring that they would be discharged by the law courts and this was exactly what happened.”
He accused the current governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration of negligence.
“When in 2010 the government of the NDC almost belatedly responded to honor its manifesto promise, some hasty arrests of some suspects were made, who were hurriedly arraigned before court: the lack of professional commitment and the subsequent prosecution was clearly discernible.”
“In connection with that development, representatives of the family wrote to the President of the day, His Excellency late Prof. J.E.A Mills drawing his attention to some critical matters of concern regarding the trial of those suspects: the issues which were raised related to the nature and scope of the evidence which the office of the Attorney General had assembled for the prosecution of the suspects.”
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Abdulai Yakubu Andani bemoaned, “The memory of the gruesome murder of our father is still fresh in our minds, not motivated by vengeance but the need to deliver justice and justice is a necessary prerequisite for ensuring peace: this is why we reiterate the demand that those who were responsible for the murder which was committed on March 27,220 are made to answer for their crimes.”
Basharu Alhassan Dabal-li a sympathizer of the late Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani family said, “Honestly speaking I am a son of Dagbon and a Ghanaian and every Ghanaian should be concerned about the security of the nation: that is why murder case is been handled by the state, the state versus anybody who happens to commit that crime and at least we have lost so much and it has affected us as a Kingdom for that matter every Dagbon citizen should be concerned about finding a lasting solution to this heinous crime.”
Basharu Dabal-li added, “That is why some of us feel that we should associate ourselves with the children and let them know that it was not only their father they lost but Dagbon lost a King.”
The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna sympathized with the late Yaa-Naa family and promised to forward their petition to President John Mahama.
Alhaji Limuna however urged them to exercise maximum restraint and have confidence in government to permanently resolve the age long Dagbon chieftaincy matter.
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“On behalf of government I want to take this opportunity to extend our condolences once again to you, we know what you are going through.”
He recalled, “Like my President promised, he said, “Even if it will take him to be able to restore peace and bring justice to Dagbon as the only thing he will do as the President of Ghana he is interested.”
Alhaji Limuna again cautioned the family against panic reaction. “This is a process and normally when you start some process we are governed by laws is not an event where you just want it to happen and you will go away: the process you may not appreciate it and think that is delaying.”
President Mahama on the occasions of the 2015 Damba festival in Yendi and at the grounds breaking ceremony on the Eastern Corridor Road construction pledged his administration’s commitment to perform the funerals of the late Yaa-Naa Mahamadu Abdulai and that of the late Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani II who died on March 27, 2002.
The late Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani II died during the Kufuor led New Patriotic Party (NPP).
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Then, Member of Parliament for Yendi, Hon. Alhaji Malik Yakubu Alhassan who was the Interior Minister resigned because of the incident.
The incident became a major political issue during the 2004 and 2008 general elections and it was enshrined in the NDC's 2004 campaign manifesto.
Some NDC bigwigs including the party’s founder, Jerry John Rawlings accused the NPP administration of masterminding the Yaa-Naa’s death.
The NDC, then in opposition with the late Professor John Evans Atta Mills gained huge political capital with it.
Now, leadership of the governing NDC are distancing themselves from the campaign promise to apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators of the Yaa-Naa’s death.
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The silence of Members of Parliament from Dagbon on the matter has incurred the wrath of the late Yaa-Naa’s family, hence their fresh demand.
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