As part of lined-up activities, they organized a special Quranic recitation and climaxed it with a news conference.

They renewed calls for the apprehension and prosecution of those who caused the late Dagbon overlord’s death.

The Spokesman, Basharu Alhassan Dabal-li in a Citi News interview, maintained that they have been denied justice for far too long.

According to him, successive governments have acted in bad faith by ignoring their incessant demand for justice.

He expressed the family’s dissatisfaction with the delay in bringing the perpetrators to book saying, “It is indeed very strange that this horrifying act of state-sponsored terror unleashed on innocent civilians was never investigated neither was anyone arrested or held to account for this monumental crime.”

Basharu Alhassan Dabal-li advised government to respect the customs and traditions of the Dagbon traditional area.

He condemned a recent attempt by some Abudus youth to occupy the old Gbewaa Palace Yendi.

He served notice that the family will no longer tolerate any acts of impunity and asked the law enforcement agencies there to be extra vigilant.

Basharu Alhassan Dabal-li further implored government to be mindful of “Chieftaincy contractors” meddling in the Dagbon chieftaincy stalemate.

“We urge the Akufo-Addo-led administration and its appointees to avoid engaging the services of groups or individuals outside the framework of Dagbon traditional authority,” he said.

“Such individuals or groups are basically chieftaincy contractors who benefit from the protracted conflict in the area. Dagbon has an unwritten constitution, embedded in its traditional and customary practices.”

Basharu Alhassan Dabal-li urged “government and its appointees to stop their blatant political interferences in the Dagbon chieftaincy matters and rather use their good offices to facilitate the work of the legitimate custodians of Dagbon traditions and customs. And the head of the custodians of these traditions and customs, who is also the most senior member of the elders of Dagbon and the head of the Judicial Council of Dagbon is the Kug’ Naa.”

The demise of the late overlord of Dagbon has since heightened the feud between Abudu and Andani royals.

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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Representatives of both sides of the chieftaincy divide in Dagbon, resumed sittings at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi on Saturday October 28, 2017, to scrutinize the agenda required for the implementation of the final phase of the road-map to peace in Dagbon.

[contextly_sidebar id=”FS6l4spBnOcCrTko82OC9y604P4qNAop”]But the meeting was inconclusive because of disagreements about the performance of the funeral of the late Yaa-Naa, Mahamadu Abdulai IV, in the old Gbewaa Palace at Yendi.

While the Abudus insisted that the funeral should be performed in the old Gbewaa Palace in line with the customs and traditions of Dagbon, the Andanis remained defiant on their opposition to the proposal.

The heated arguments there necessitated the meeting’s postponement for two weeks, from the renewed peace talk’s resumption day.

Citi News sources at the said meeting revealed that, the Abudu Royals’ representatives accused the head of three eminent Kings Mediation Committee, the Asantehene Otumfour Osei II of open bias.

Previous boycott by Abudu Royals

The Abudu Royals’ representatives at the Manhyia Palace on Friday January 28, 2016, petitioned the Asantehene-led Mediation Committee, and reaffirmed their boycott of proceedings there.

They refused to honour subsequent invitations by the committee for fresh talks on the implementation of the final phase of the road-map to peace in Dagbon.

In a petition, they accused the Mediation Committee of open bias, saying, “We have served notice to the Committee of Eminent Chiefs (CEC) on their inability to avail themselves for the committee’s sittings for lack of consistency until certain decisions of the body are implemented.”

They further chronicled the following in that petition. “We have noticed, regrettably that the committee has abandoned their own Road-map to the peace document, and now operate under the sole direction of a so-called ‘Kuga-Naa’ who is, with the support of the Andani Family, usurping the powers of the Gushei-Naa.”

“The committee has failed to give true meaning to clause ‘i’ of their Road-map to peace document which states that: ‘’…the old Gbewaa Palace should remain free of occupation or any activity until a date is set for the performance of the funeral rites of Yaa-Naa Mahamadu Abdulai IV.’’

“The intent of the committee, expressed in the Final Peace Agreement, that: ‘’…we therefore conclude that the funeral should take place at the Gbewaa Palace…’’ has not come to fruition. This clause was made in reference to Yaa-Naa Mahamadu Abdulai IV.”

“A visit by Mr. Owusu Boateng, Ashantehene’s Secretary, to the Bolin-Lana Palace with a contractor who was introduced as the one engaged by the committee to rehabilitate the old Gbewaa Palace has not yielded any results.”

“Their most recent promise on December 5, 2015 that ‘’the Abudus…will take occupation of the Gbewaa palace to perform the final funeral rites of Yaa-Naa Mahamadu Abdulai IV between January 8 and 15, 2016’’ has not been fulfilled.”

“We have also noted, with regrets, that the committee has failed to follow the letter and spirit of clause ‘10’ of a ‘Reconciliation Agreement’ reached by the two feuding royal families in 1987 which states that: ‘’on the death of Ex Yaa-Naa Mahamadu Abdulai, he should be accorded the full funeral rites of a Yaa-Naa in the light of the Supreme Court ruling of 17th December, 1986’’.

“Given these reasons amongst other things, the family has been compelled to temporally suspend appearance before the Committee pending commencement of rehabilitation works at the old Gbewaa Palace as contemplated in the above submissions.”

“We are convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the Committee has preponderance of evidence before it to take the giant step of rehabilitating the old Gbewaa Palace for the funerals to take place there. There is absolutely nothing to negotiate about as far as this already settled matter is concerned.”

They nonetheless reiterated the urgent need for renovation of the old Gbewaa palace in Yendi, ceremonial ground for the final funeral rites of the late two Dagbon overlords.

Peace Talks resumption agreement

The representatives of the two Royals in Dagbon, on Tuesday September 5, 2017, agreed to resume peace talks at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.

Government’s Inter-Ministerial Committee set up to permanently solve the problem succeeded in convincing them to return to the negotiation table.

The Inter-Ministerial Committee is made up of the Northern Regional Coordinating Council, the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, and the National Security Ministry.

The Northern Regional Minister, who doubles as Chairman of the Regional Security Council, Salifu Saeed, is the lead advocate.

President Nana Addo’s golden dream about Dagbon

It is President Nana Akufo Addo’s wish that Dagbon should have a substantive Yaa-Naa before the 2017 Damba Festival in December.

During his recent visit to Dagbon, the President said his best Christmas gift to the people there and the entire Ghanaian populace will be the enskinment of a new Yaa-Naa, ahead of this year’s Damba Festival celebration.

He promised to make available the necessary resources to enable the Otumfuo Mediation Committee bring to finality the chieftaincy stalemate in Dagbon which intensified following the demise of the late Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani II on March 27, 2002.

The President, who is passionate about Dagbon’s genuine reconciliation and unity is convinced that Dagbon deserves a new Yaa-Naa.

The Dagbon chieftaincy stalemate prominently features in the President’s speech wherever he is addressing the chiefs and people of the Northern Region.

Andani Royals strong resistance

The Andani Royals have relentlessly resisted any attempt to perform the funeral of the late Yaa-Naa Mahamadu Abdulai IV in the old Gbewaa Palace in Yendi.

They have always argued that, the late Yaa-Naa Mahamadu Abdulai IV, died as a private person in life, hence their opposition to calls for his funeral to be performed as that of a Yaa-Naa.

Late Yaa-Naa’s children demonstrate in Tamale

The children of the late overlord of Dagbon, Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani II on Friday, April 3, 2015, demonstrated on the streets of Tamale and reiterated their incessant calls for justice.

In solidarity, the late Dagbon Overlord’s widows and sympathizers participated in the peaceful demonstration.

They presented a petition to then Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, for onward submission to then President John Dramani Mahama.

The petition was headlined, “Petition on the matter concerning the murder of Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani II and towards the restoration of the stability and integrity of the traditional authority in Dagbon.”

The family’s Spokesperson, a son of the late Dagbon Overlord, Abdulai Yakubu Andani who read the petition accused government, saying, “The government of the day embarked on a deliberate attempt at whitewashing this monumental crime with the setting up of the Wuaku Commission. In the process of manipulating investigations, the Commission preferred charges which do not exist in our statute books on some two individuals thereby ensuring that they would be discharged by the law courts and this was exactly what happened.”

“When in 2010 the government of the NDC almost belatedly responded to honor its manifesto promise, some hasty arrests of some suspects were made, who were hurriedly arraigned. The lack of professional commitment and the subsequent prosecution was clearly discernible,” he added.

Abdulai Yakubu further said their late father’s death is still fresh in their minds, not motivated by vengeance, but the need to deliver justice which according to him, is a prerequisite for ensuring peace.

“This is why we reiterate the demand that those who were responsible for the murder which was committed on March 27, 220, are made to answer for their crimes.”

Retired Major Sulemana’s doubt about the Otumfuo Committee’s locus

The Regent of Tolon, Retired Major, Sulemana Abubakari in 2015, questioned the locus of the three eminent chiefs committee headed by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, whose task is to amicably resolve the protracted Dagbon chieftaincy dispute.

He is convinced the Otumfuo Mediation Committee is cosmetic on the face value in its attempt to permanently resolve the Dagbon chieftaincy dispute.

As a member of the Abudus Representatives at the Manhyia Palace, he took this position at his palace in Tolon on the occasion of the 2015 Damba festival.

He underscored the need for the Abudu and Andani royals to trace their history to help them address the root cause of the disputes.

According to Major (Rtd.) Sulemana Abubakari, either the overlord of Mamprugu Traditional Area or the overlord of Nanung Traditional should be made to head the committee to solve the feud.

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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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In a statement to mark the 3rd anniversary of the death of the king, the regent of Bimbilla, Kampakoya Naa Yakubu Abdulai Dassana has appealed to the government to expedite action in bringing justice to the family of the late overlord by ensuring that the perpetrators of the heinous crime are brought to justice.

“We would like to appeal to the government and the appropriate institutions to set up their game without fear or favour in serving justice for the late Naa Andani and 3 others, to end the lawlessness from one group of people all the time. These same people still put the kingdom in a state of insecurity leading to subsequent disturbances in the area,” he said.

He further stated that the family was committed to supporting the government in its efforts to end all issues of lawlessness in Nanung.

“We would like to tell my fellow Nanumbas far and near that we don’t have enemies but have people who disagree with us and my advice is, we have systems responsible for addressing our differences, let’s resort to them so we can respect the life’s of fellow Nanumbas by leaving our entrenched positions for the hopes of a better Naming. Our position is to be part of the solution and not the problem,” he said.

He noted that the memories of the sad day still lingers in the minds of family members as no one is yet to be held responsible. He, therefore, called on the state to be proactive in the investigations.

“This was a sad day in the history of Nanung for such barbaric act of irresponsibility, till date no one has being held accountable for the deadly shooting, whilst the memory of scenes of the heinous act still reflect in people’s heads every single day and broken hearts awaiting to be healed and all these depressions await the systems of this country to be proactive in investigations.”

The late Naa Andani Dassana until his death was enskinned as the overlord of Nanung in April 2003 and ruled as the paramount chief of the Nanung traditional area until his gruesome murder on June 19, 2014.

Before his murder, he had won a case brought against his enskinment by the Nakpaa Naa at the Northern Regional House of Chiefs in March 2012 and was posthumously claimed as the legitimate king of Nanung in October 2014.

The state is yet to prosecute anyone for the crime committed.

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By: Mohammed Aminu M. Alabira/ citifmonline.com/Ghana

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United converted all of their kicks in the shoot-out, Darren Fletcher slamming home the winner after Marco Andreolli had hit the crossbar.

Having beaten Roma last week, United have one foot in the final of the Champions Cup, where they could face Manchester City.

United’s new signing Luke Shaw, who van Gaal had described as unfit on the eve of the game, came on to play wing-back for the second half, while Wilfried Zaha, who showed plenty of promise on his first appearance of the tour, was introduced to play up front.

Former United stalwart Nemanja Vidic was in the Inter line-up and made a key challenge on Zaha before he was substituted with 18 minutes left.

Van Gaal’s men were sporting their new blue kit for the first time but, although they passed the ball around nicely before the break, they struggled to create clear-cut chances.

Phil Jones went closest, drawing a good save from Samir Handanovic with a header from a corner, while Juan Mata and Wayne Rooney were off target with shots from distance.

The Manchester United boss made eight changes at the break and his team began to look more dangerous.

Tom Cleverley volleyed over the bar and Juan Pablo Carrizo then denied Nani from close range, before Shinji Kagawa was thwarted by Danilo D’Ambrosio when he tried to turn in the rebound.

United then had a pair of penalty shouts turned down by ref Edvin Juisevuic in quick succession, as Zaha and Cleverley went down in the box.

Inter were kept fairly quiet throughout but David de Gea had to make a good late save from a Fredy Guarin free-kick.

And Zaha almost won it for United in the final minute, shooting into the side netting after a mazy run into the box.

That meant penalties and both sides converted their spot-kicks with aplomb until Andreolli’s miss, Fletcher, Ashley Young, Javier Hernandez, Cleverley and Kagawa on target for United.

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Source: Sky Sports

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Goals from Harry Kane and Aaron Lennon gave Tottenham a 2-0 friendly win over Chicago Fire in the United States.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side extended their unbeaten pre-season start to three matches as Kane scored in the fifth minute.

Lennon sealed the victory when he converted a Roberto Soldado through ball with six minutes to go.

“It was difficult in the humidity but well done to the players, it was a good game out there,” Pochettino said.

Tottenham had begun their tour of North America with a 3-3 draw against Seattle Sounders and a 3-2 victory over Toronto.

Tottenham: Friedel (McGee 78), Walker (Naughton 46), Dawson, Veljkovic (Fredericks 80), Rose (Davies 46), Capoue, Mason, Holtby (Falque 64), Lamela (Eriksen 46), Townsend (Lennon 46); Kane (Soldado 46).

Subs not used: Kaboul, Ceballos.

Real Madrid 1-1 Inter Milan (2-3 pens)

A stunning Gareth Bale goal was not enough to give Real Madrid victory in their pre-season International Champions Cup meeting with Inter Milan in Berkeley, California.

Wales international Bale surged through the Inter midfield before beating keeper Samir Handanovic with a powerful swerving 30-yard shot after 10 minutes.

But Argentine striker Mauro Icardi equalised with a penalty after a foul on Nemanja Vidic – before scoring the decisive kick as Inter won in a shootout.

“Gareth Bale is working well and has a great attitude,” said Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti.

“He will improve and this will be a very different campaign for him, especially in terms of the start of the season, as he didn’t have a pre-season last year.”

AC Milan 1-5 Manchester City

Manchester City thrashed AC Milan 5-1 in a game suspended for 30 minutes because of a severe thunderstorm.

Stevan Jovetic, Scott Sinclair, Jesus Navas and Kelechi Iheanacho put City into a 4-0 lead within 26 minutes in Pittsburgh, USA.

Sulley Muntari pulled a goal back for Milan before half-time and the restart at the Heinz Field stadium was delayed because of bad weather.

Jovetic added a fifth, while Milan’s Mario Balotelli had a goal disallowed.

City now face Liverpool on 30 July.

Manchester City: Caballero, Clichy, Kolarov (Richards 69), Boyata (Rekik 77), Nastasic, Fernando (Garcia 62), Zuculini (Rodwell 77), Navas (Leigh 77), Jovetic (Guidetti 69), Iheanacho (Huws 62), Sinclair.

 

Olympiakos 0-1 Liverpool

Raheem Sterling scored the winner as Liverpool beat Greek side Olympiakos at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Sterling latched on to a deflected shot from striker Daniel Sturridge to score from close range early in the game, while the closest Olympiakos came to an equaliser was when a Gevorg Ghazaryan effort hit the crossbar.

Reds captain Steven Gerrard started alongside Sterling, Sturridge and summer signing Lazar Markovic, who joined the club from Benfica for £20m.

Winger Markovic played the first half before being replaced by Brazilian Philippe Coutinho.

“Markovic will only get better and better,” said Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers.

“He showed great strength when he burst through and hopefully later on when he picks up that speed and sharpness in his game, he’ll go on and finish that.”

Liverpool: Jones, Johnson (Kelly 62), Skrtel, Toure (Coates 62), Enrique (Robinson 45), Gerrard (Leiva 62), Henderson, Can (Allen 45), Sterling (Ibe 75), Markovic (Coutinho 45), Sturridge (Lambert 74).

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Source: BBC Sport

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