I didn’t accuse Napo of anything - DAYA Chairman

The National Vice President of the Dagomba Youth Association (DAYA), Alhaji Rashid Abass, has categorically denied a story carried on Ghanaweb, in which he is alleged to have accused the Member of Parliament (MP) for Manhyia South, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh, and the Adontehene of the Manhyia Palace of fanning tension within the Dagomba community in the Ashanti Region.

In the story, authored by one Eliasu Tanko and culled from Rawgist.com, Alhaji Abass pointed accusing fingers at the Adontehene and Dr. Prempeh, aka Napo, of interfering in the three year chieftaincy dispute that has stalled the installation of a new Dagomba chief for the community.

But Alhaji Abass says he has never mentioned the name of the MP anywhere, neither has he spoken to any journalist, accusing the NPP legislator of meddling in the affairs of the Dagomba community.

Speaking to The Chronicle in an interview, Alhaji Abass, who also chaired a 12-member committee formed by the Asantehene to resolve the conflicts that have surrounded the enskinment of a new chief, following the death of the late Naa Iddrisu Sawai, said he was very surprised someone could use his name to make such an outrageous accusation.

“Even the MP we are talking about, I don’t know him and I haven’t seen him before, so how could I have accused him of anything. I haven’t said that anywhere,” a worried Alhaji Abass told the paper.

Though he confirmed that the committee identified the involvement of the Adontehene, Nana Gyamfi Ababio, whom, he said, was trying to impose his favourite candidate on the Dagomba community in the Ashanti Region, Alhaji Abass said he does not remember mentioning Dr. Napo’s name.

“You see how some of your colleagues can be sensational, that is why I don’t want to speak to journalists when they call. It is wrong for anyone to attribute information to me without consulting me,” he lamented.

Meanwhile, the Manhyia South MP has expressed fury at the report, threatening to take the necessary action to clear his name.

He told The Chronicle that he has no knowledge of the issue he is being accused of, stressing, “The whole of last month I had been outside the country and didn’t know what had been going on.”

Dr. Prempeh said he wondered why someone would fabricate such lies against him, adding that he has no interest as to who becomes the Chief of the Dagomba community in the Ashanti Region, though he stated that as an MP, he has a cordial relationship with all tribes and ethnic groups in his constituency.

“What interest do I have to meddle in chieftaincy affairs within the Daogmba community, it is palpable lies and must be treated as such. In fact, the period that they said I was interfering in the committee’s operations, I was in far away Brazil with a Ghanaian delegation,” he explained.