Make discussions on Dagbon chieftaincy dispute public

Tamale, Oct. 7, GNA - The Concerned Citizens Association of Tamale (CCAT) has called on the three Eminent Kings mediating in the Dagbon Chieftaincy disputes to make their discussions public to avoid misinformation.

At a press conference in Tamale on Saturday the President of the Association, Mr. Basharu A Dabali, said misinformation on the "Roadmap to Peace" document was affecting the peace process in Dagbon, pointing out that education and monitoring on the document was essential towards finding a sustainable solution to the dispute.

The press conference was held to commend the US Embassy for organising a peace building and conflict transformation seminar for the feuding factions in the Dagbon Chieftaincy divide on September 28 aimed at reconciling the people.

Mr. Dabali said the association was therefore collaborating with youth associations and women groups through the Northern Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) to send a proposal to the US Embassy for support to organise a similar seminar for them.

He urged the youth take advantage of the Millennium Challenge Account and Youth Employment Fund to enhance their living standards and not to allow self-seeking persons to mislead them.

The CCAT President called on other foreign missions and benevolent organisations to emulate the US Embassy by organising more of such seminars to reconcile the people to enhance development.

Mr. Dabali said the CCAT had observed that some persons in Dagbon were benefiting either materially or politically from the disputes and were bent on thwarting any move geared towards finding a sustainable solution to the dispute.

"We are appealing to such persons to forget about the gains they are enjoying but to think about the consequences their actions have for the present generation and generation yet to come.

" It is about time Dagombas place Dagbon Kingdom first before partisan political interests," he said.

He urged the two royal gates to soften their positions on the peace roadmap to give peace a chance, saying: "No dispute is impossible to be solved if only those involved are ready to compromise". Mr. Dabali noted that since the Dagbon chieftaincy dispute, law and order had been flouted with impunity and appealed to the security agencies to bring those who committed crimes to book to serve as a deterrent to others.

"Sustainable solution to the dispute could be achieved if criminals who perpetuated the killing of the King, the late Ya-Na, Yakubu Andani II were prosecuted", he said.

Mr. Dabali called on local Radio Stations not to allow phone-in callers to make unguided utterances that are inflammatory and appealed to the media to dwell more on issues that would integrate the people.