Deputy Communications Director of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Samuel Awuku, has laid blame at the doorstep of President J.E.A Mills for the bloody clashes that ensued at Tamale after all 14 Abudu suspects standing trial for the murder of the late Dagbon Overlord Ya Na Yakubu Andani II were acquitted and discharged by the Fast Track High Court in Accra.
Samuel Awuku argues the violent actions by the irate Andani youth though unfortunate, was to be expected, because it was induced by then candidate Mills’ campaign message in the run-up to the 2008 elections.
According to him, the NDC led by its then presidential candidate, Professor Mills and former President Rawlings pointed accusing fingers at Mr. Kufuor and the NPP as perpetrators of the Ya-Na’s death.
An Accra Fast Track High Court presided over by Justice E K Ayebi on Tuesday acquitted and discharged 14 persons being tried for the killing of the Dagbon overlord.
The trial Judge disposed of the matter for want of evidence.
Following the ruling and clearly not enthused, irate members of the Andani Royal Gate who are also members of the ruling NDC on Tuesday night, set the Northern Regional office of the party on fire, according to FillaFM and Peace Fm’s reporter, Kwabena Ntow. He added that a new building at Lamashigu in Tamale South put up by the Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, the Minister of Communications as a new party edifice for the constituency was also been set ablaze.
The Tamale Central constituency office was also attacked, but was left intact because it was a rented building; however, files and other documents were taken out and burnt by the irate party members.
According to Kwabena Ntow one person was killed around the Tamale Central Mosque on Tuesday night during the riots. The victim was allegedly shot by soldiers who took over the Tamale metropolis to protect human lives as the angry youth burnt car tyres and destroyed several properties belonging to the government.
Billboards displaying portraits of President Mills and Lawyer Inusah Fuseini, NDC MP for Tamale Central were also pulled down.
A group calling itself the Gushiegu Andani Youth of NDC are also said to be displeased with the ruling, and their leader, Haruna Jajah, is reported to have asked the ruling government “to do something or the president must not step foot in Yendi”.
Speaking in an interview on Peacefm’s “Kokrokoo” on the NPP’s position on the ruling and events after the court’s decision, Samuel Awuku described the Fast Track High Court ruling as a victory for Ghana’s rule of law and the constitution.
He recalled that the NPP, because it wanted to get to the bottom of the matter when they were in power; initiated the legal process that dealt with all accused persons fingered by the WUAKO Commission, whereupon some were prosecuted and later freed after being cleared. But the NDC, he said, because of mischief and for political expediency, promised to prosecute the killers of the Ya Na, who they believe have been allowed to go scot-free by the NPP, all in a bid to curry favour with the Andanis.
He added that the President cannot absolve himself from blame and had a hand in the on-going violence in Tamale because of all those false allegations made during his campaign.
“I put any loss of life, any destruction of property at the door step of John Evans Atta Mills the President of our country.” he stated.
In a related development, the entire Northern Regional Executive of the governing NDC, have withdrawn their services to the party with immediate effect.
The action, they say has been precipitated by the government’s lack of interest in reversing what they call an “unpopular ruling” delivered by an Accra Fast Track High Court discharging and acquitting some 15 persons standing trial for the murder of the Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II.
The executive say henceforth they will not play any role in the party until the situation is addressed. They have consequently given the government two weeks to initiate the process of reversing the court's decision else they will resign en bloc.
Meanwhile, as an interim measure to curtail rising tension which has already claimed one life, the Northern Regional Security Council imposed a curfew on the Tamale Metropolis.
The curfew took effect from 11:00pm on Tuesday March 29 2011, but it is not clear when it ends on Wednesday.
