Friends of Spio-Garbrah call for peace in Dagbon

Wa, April 8, GNA - A group in the Upper West Region calling itself 93Friends of Dr. Ekow Spio-Garbrah" has called on the government to conduct fresh investigations into the murder of Ya-Na Yakubu Andani in order to bring the perpetrators of the heinous crime to justice. The group also called on the aggrieved people of Dagbon to exercise restraint and allow the government to institute fresh measures that would restore peace in Dagbon.

This was contained in a statement issued and jointly signed by Salifu Moro, Alhassan Nuhu, and Sumaila Ballu, the President, the Public Relations Officer and the Secretary of the group respectively at Wa on Thursday.

The statement said the discharge and acquittal of the accused persons standing trial for the murder of the Ya-Na was a failure on the part of the government to properly investigate the murder. It said being a social democratic party the NDC was guided by the principles of equity and equality, justice and fairness as well as probity and accountability.

The statement also reminded the government of graduate unemployment and urged the government to be more proactive in initiating policies that would create employment for the youth. "The available skilled labour force represents the panacea to surmounting some of the industrial problems that retards development in the country", it said.

The statement expressed regret at the problems that characterized the migration of teachers onto the Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP) and said this should not have happened.

It said the NDC manifesto provided various allowances and other interventions designed to boost the conditions of teachers. The statement said the frosty relationship between President John Atta Mills and former President Jerry John Rawlings had the potential of damaging the electoral chances of the party in the 2012 general elections if not resolved.

The statement therefore called on the government to be committed to addressing some of these issues including prosecuting former corrupt officials in the administration of former President John Agyekum Kufuor. 08 April 11