The apparent delay of Dagbon Road Map for peace, in my opinion, is caused by a majority of the Abudu Royal Family Members? refusal to accept the Dagbon Status quo. The Committee of Eminent Kings of Ashanti, Gonja and Mampurugu are blameless in this regard.
It was agreed, among other things, that all Dagbon chiefs who owe their allegiance to the King of Dagbon shall, as Dagbon Custom demands, attend at the burial funeral rites of the late Ya-Naa Andani Yakubu II. Also in line with Dagbon Custom they are all to pay homage to the Regent of Dagbon to renew their allegiances to Dagbon Kingship. Failure puts one outside Dagbon Custom as an outlaw of Custom.
These ??gentlemen?? agreements have not been observed by a majority of Abudu Royal Family Chiefs. To renege on such customary demands is tantamount to exclude one from the Customs of Dagbon.
Dagbon Custom is the bedrock of Dagbon Chieftaincy. The Committee of Eminent Kings is mandated to use Dagbon Customs to reconcile Dagbon. If a faction of Dagbon Chieftaincy should however renege on the principles of Dagbon Custom, then the Otumfuo Committee can not be blamed for any delay. The Committee has not shirked its responsibility.
The roadmap is, in fact, a guiding principle to be followed by all parties in the ??dispute??. Dagbon Custom is however the vehicle to be used to travel to ??destination peace for Dagbon??.
The modalities, but not programmes, for the funeral rites of the late Naa Abudulai Mahamadu have been discussed at length by the Otumfuo Committee with all parties in the Dagbon Chieftaincy dispute present.
The Kingship of Naa Abudulai Mahamadu was judged by the Supreme Court of Ghana (1986) as null and void. That same Court, however, designated him during his life time as a Former Ya-Naa. He therefore died as a Former Ya-Naa. His funeral rites are that of a Former Ya-Naa and not a late Ya-Naa who died in office.
Dagbon custom on the procedure for the funeral rites of former Ya-Naas exist. Four (4) late Ya-Naas did not change Dagbon custom on the funeral rites of former Ya-Naas. The assassinated Ya-Naa Andani Yakubu II too refused, in Council, to change the Dagbon custom because his predecessors did not change the custom when they were confronted with similar situations. Two out of the four late Ya-Naas belong to the Abudu Royal Family and two belong to the Andani Royal Family. Ya-Naa Andani Yakubu II had to stay within the precedence set by his ancestors.
Dagban Constitution is explicit that only a reigning Ya-Naa, in Council with Dagbon Elders, can change Dagbon Custom. No body else can change Dagbon Custom. Dagbon has to have a reigning Ya-Naa to change Dagbon Custom according to the 1930 Constitution.
The Otumfuo Committee of Eminent Kings shall commit a sacrilege against Dagbon Custom and also be in breach of the Dagbon Constitution should that Committee unwisely change Dagbon Custom.
It is the existing Dagbon Customs as a vehicle, that the Otumfuo Committee is mandated to use to assist Dagbon achieve the most desired peace that in turn shall facilitate development in Dagbon.
The Abudu Royal Family Youth should remember that it took Dagbon four (4) years to burry the late Ya-Naa Andani Yakubu II and to install the Dagbon Regent. Consensus building is time consuming whereas destabilisation is instantaneous. Only peace loving people know the difference.
It is a perception in Dagbon that Ya-Naa Yakubu II was assassinated so as to facilitate breaches of Dagbon customs.
Any body that should therefore lend support to breaches of Dagbon Customs shall be perceived as a co-conspirator in the assassination of Ya-Naa Yakubu II.
Politicians should indeed be mindful of their utterances, particularly politicians who are promising the replication of the 1969 fiasco when a purported Ya-Naa was uncustomary imposed on Dagbon by joint police and military forces.
Dagbon was in a slumber when the tragedy of Mach 2002 took place but now Dagbon is on full alert. No politicians seeking cheap votes in return for a replication of the 1969 fiasco shall be entertained.
To promote peace, unity and development in the Dagbon Traditional Area, there needs to be justice first, justice for the gruesome assassination of Ya-Naa Yakubu II. To put behind the past, the perpetrators of that crime must be apprehended and punished according to the law since it is an unfulfilled promise to the Nation.
Perhaps, if the Abudu Royal Family Youth have indeed lost confidence in their elders, then it is very probable that their elders have refused to commit sacrilegious and criminal acts against Dagbon Custom and Constitution respectively.
With regard to the politicization of Dagbon Customs, it was Ya-Naa Allassani of the Abudulai Royal Family who first involved a German Mercenary Capt. Rigler in the de-skinment of Ya-Naa Dahamani Kuri-karijie in 1899.
Secondly, it was the Abudulai Royal Family that involved joint Military and Police forces to uncustomary impose Former Ya-Naa Abudulai Mahamadu on Dagbon State in 1969, when over sixty-nine (69) Andani Royal Family members were murdered in cold blood.
Thirdly, it is perceived, since 2002 in Dagbon, that the assassination of Ya-Naa Andani Yakubu II was perpetrated by the same Abudulai Royal Family members jointly with their mercenaries.
Are the Abudulai Royal Family Youth aware of these historical facts or is it that with unattainable political promises they are simply wishing away past deeds? Men have, indeed, lost their reasoning.
The solution to the perceived Dagbon dispute lies within Dagbon Customs. All Dagombas should therefore seek their customs with clean hands and all shall be well.
Long live Dagbon, Long live Ghana.
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