The Yaa-Naa Memorial Lecture Secretariat has proposed the establishment of a special fund to cater for the family of the late Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani I.
This proposal was made on the occasion of the 12th memorial service of the late Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani I who died on March 27, 2002 in Yendi.
Secretary to the Yaa-Naa Memorial Secretariat, Mahama Shaibu told Citi News setting up such a fund was justifiable, “The reason being that life has been very difficult for them since the Yaa-Naa passed on and it is important that we establish such a fund.”
He disclosed the Secretariat’s pledge of GHC 1,000 as seed capital for the establishment of the fund with the expectation that Members of Parliament from the Dagbon Traditional Area will support such a move.
“We as a secretariat will want to contribute ten million old Ghana cedis to the fund and we hope that Members of Parliament from Dagbon will contribute to the fund.”
Mahama Shaibu further admonished Dagbon chiefs to give out part of monies accrued from the sale of lands in the area for the upkeep of the children and widows of the late Dagbon overlord.
He, however bemoaned what he described as sharp growing divisions in the Andani family and called for unity.
“We are not too happy about factions emerging from the Andani family and so we want to urge the various factions in the Andani family to come together so that we can forge ahead in peace.”
He stressed, “We cannot reconcile with the Abudus if we ourselves are unable to reconcile; so to the various factions in the Andani family, we want them to use this solemn occasion to come together as one people so that we can forge ahead and be able to reconcile with the Abudu family to move Dagbon forward.”
Mahama Shaibu also commended government for taking steps to resurrect the Dagbon peace talks at Manhyia.
“We welcome the resurrection of the Otumfuo committee and we want to put before the committee that it is important that they consider as part of their terms of reference the need for all outstanding funerals of chiefs in Dagbon to be performed so that we can get a new Yaa-Naa.”
He stressed, “We also want to commend the people of Dagbon for keeping the peace all this while and we hope that they will continue to keep the peace so that Dagbon will move on.”
Meanwhile, the immediate family relations of the late Dagbon overlord recited the Holy Qur’an at the Gbewaa palace in Yendi in memory of the late Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani I.
By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana