Northern Region CSOs Back Final Roadmap for Peace

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) operating in the Northern Region have backed the final roadmap for peace restoration in Dagbon and pledged their commitment to make its implementation possible.
The CSOs at a meeting hosted by the Northern Ghana Network for Development (NGND) and the Dagbon Forum (DF) commended the three Eminent Kings Mediation Committee for attempting to bring finality to the age-long chieftaincy impasse between the Abudus and the Andanis in Dagbon.
A statement jointly signed by Mr. Theophilus Dokurugu Alhassan,Executive Director, Northern Ghana Network for Development (NGND) and Dr. Sulemana Abudulai, President, of Dagbon Forum (DF) promised to create a platform for monitoring, responding, designing and implementing early warning systems to prevent potential threats to the Roadmap.
“We applaud the work of the Three Eminent Kings aimed at bringing normalcy back to Dagbon, and urge all well-meaning Dagbamba to support the proposed roadmap.”
“All legal and administrative arrangements related to the roadmap should be completed and publicized without delay to avoid misinformation and misinterpretation.”
The statement called on international and local donor agencies to support the peace process to its logical conclusion.
“We call on the families and sympathizers on both sides to think of the wider and longer-term interest of Dagbon. All parties are encouraged to commit unconditionally to the roadmap.”
The statement kicked against politicization of the final roadmap and urged the general public to contribute to the restoration of peace and stability in Dagbon.
“Civil society actors and religious leaders should come out with clear peace building and conflict prevention messages in the lead up to the performance of the funerals of the late two overlords (Yaa-Nass) of Dagbon.”
The statement further underscored the need for accurate and objective media reportage stating that, “All media houses should exercise maximum restraint carrying stories about the roadmap and also discourage live phone-in discussions on the matter.”
It advocated that the peace process should go beyond the enskinment of a substantive Yaa-Naa in order to strengthen and sustain the required peace in Dagbon.
“All Dagbamba should support and proudly participate in the performance of the funerals of the late two Overlords, Yaa-Naa Mahamadu Abdulai IV and Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani IIand the enskinment of a substantive Yaa-Naa.”
“We urge the general public to serve as peace Ambassadors by exposing persons and groups of individuals whose actions are likely to thwart the implementation of the roadmap to peace restoration in Dagbon.”
Dagbon Forum’s commendation
The national wing of the Dagbon Forum was the first group which held a news conference in Tamale and lauded the final road-map to the restoration of peace in the Dagbon State.
It added its voice to calls on the two royals in Dagbon to strictly abide by the final road-map to the restoration of peace in Dagbon.
Vice President of the Dagbon Forum, Sintaro Mahama described the Asantehene-led Committee’s final roadmap as a sigh of relief to the people of Dagbon.
He said the Dagbon Forum would remain vigilant against hostile and aggressive tendencies seeking to undermine the efforts of the Otumfou Mediation Committee to permanently resolve the Dagbon chieftaincy impasse between the Abudus and the Andanis.
Sintaro Mahama called for adequate security measures to avert any untoward situation that might mar the performance of the two funerals.
The Committee of Eminent Kings mediating the chieftaincy dispute between the Abudus and Andanis in Dagbon at its last sitting in Kumasi came out with the final road-map on Friday November 16, 2018.
At the last sitting at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, It was resolved that the funerals of the two late overlords of Dagbon should be performed in the old Gbewaa Palace in Yendi.
The Abudus are to begin with the funeral of the late Yaa-Naa Mahamadu Abdulai IV from December 14 to 28, 2018.
This will be followed by the funeral of the late Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani II from January 4 to 18, 2019.