Major Abukari Sulemana (Rtd), Regent of Tolon says people who are fomenting trouble in Dagbon by creating divisions among Abudus and Andanis are doing so because of their selfish interests to derail development.
Major Sulemana who was speaking when Alhaji Limuna Mohammed-Muniru, Northern Regional Minister paid a courtesy call on him said the Dagbon chieftaincy had existed since the colonial days and the people had co-existed peacefully.
He attributed the current protracted chieftaincy problem to what he termed: “Non Dagombas fanning the flames of the conflict for their selfish gains, which must stop for lasting peace and unity to return to Dagbon.”
He said Dagbon is one and not two and expressed regret that outsiders had penetrated their ranks and are benefiting from the conflict.
“We need to soberly reflect and develop love for one another, come together as one family through reconciliation to create a conducive environment for our children."
He said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration is the only government, which is trying to seek genuine peace for the people of Dagbon commended President John Dramani Mahama for staying away from the Dagbon chieftaincy issues.
He said political interference often aggravate the problem and “the NDC government has done well by leaving the chieftaincy issues for the kingmakers and Dagbon chiefs to solve while government mediates for peace and unity to prevail”.
He thanked the NDC government for the massive infrastructure development in the Tolon District especially the tarring of the major roads and provision of some educational infrastructure and asked for more support to improve the lives of the people.
Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru commended the regent for his contribution towards maintaining peace and development in the area as well as his frankness to issues saying: “You are one of the people I admire from afar. You are always being frank to issues and I am sure because you were a soldier you don’t know how to pretend.”
He said it is the duty of government to protect lives and gave the assurance that the NDC would never meddle in chieftaincy issues but would rather continue mediate through the kingmakers by providing security when necessary for the right thing to be done for the sustenance of peace.
He said it is also important for chiefs and people of the north to come together to seek lasting peace for development to derive in the area.
“Out of the five curfews imposed in towns in Ghana Northern Region alone has four in Gushiegu, Nakpanduri, Bunkpurugu and Bimbilla and Alavanyo in the Volta Region,” he noted.
He said there could be no meaningful development in the country if the conflicts do not stop.
"In the north… all the conflicts have something to do with chieftaincy, ethnicity and politics,” he said.
He said the situation is derailing the development efforts of government.
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