Desist from media war -Govt to Yendi Factions

The Government on Tuesday appealed to the Dagbon Traditional Authority, the Andani and Abudu Gates and the general public to desist from media wars and trials on the tragic incident at Yendi.

Mr Ferdinand O. Ayim, Special Assistant to the Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs, told the press in Accra that the government had assumed full responsibility and was in firm control of the Yendi crisis with the adoption of two-pronged approach to resolve the conflict.

He explained that through the effort of the Mediation and the Police criminal investigative teams, the government was confident to resolve the short, medium and long-term issues relating to the tragedy.

It, therefore, advised the general public about the potential danger of engaging in a media war and called for patience while both teams worked independently without any distractions and influence that might endanger the outcome.

Mr Ayim stressed that the media war has the potential of denting the high credibility of the teams and the possible outcome of their work, whilst the media trials have the potential of defaming innocent personalities.

He reiterated governments call on the media to exercise the greatest caution and high level of professionalism in their reportage especially news items from both factions in the crisis and gave the assurance that the government was committed to apprehending any one or group of people found to be involved in the crisis.

The Special Assistant also denied a news item on Tuesday, April 9, alleging that some officials of Ghana Telecom at Tamale including a watchman have been the arrested in connection with the temporary break in telecommunications link to Yendi during the crisis.

Mr Ayim said both the Inspector General of Police Mr Ernest Owusu-Poku and Brigadier George Ayiku, Commanding Officer of the Northern Sector, who is in charge of the State of Emergency, had denied knowledge of any arrest.

He urged the media to contact and depend on the state machinery responsibly for disseminating information on the Yendi situation to avoid unsubstantiated reports. "This is a responsible government, which would not sit down for any individual or group to influence and distract its focus and aim of resolving the Yendi crisis."

The Special Assistant said Mr Seidu Alhassan, who hails from Yendi and was arrested last Sunday on board a Tamale-Yendi bus at a checkpoint with two locally manufactured pistols had claimed ownership.