We'll Get Ya-Na's Killers - President Mills Assures

President Mills addressing the media after meeting with chiefs from the Andani Gate of Dagbon at the Castle, Osu.

President John Evans Atta Mills has given the clearest indication yet of the resolve of the government to pursue the killers of Ya Na Yakubu Andani II, the Overlord of Dagbon, and bring them to book.

He described the acquittal and discharge of the 15 alleged murderers of the Ya Na by an Accra Fast Track High Court as a temporary setback and declared that the government would continue to pursue all the legal procedures to find the killers and bring them to book.

Answering questions from journalists on the High Court ruling at the Castle, Osu, moments after he had held a closed-door meeting with chiefs from Dagbon yesterday, led by the Kungbugu-Naa, Yiri Abu, President Mills said, “Until we are able to find out the killers of the Ya-Na, we cannot rest.”

He described the meeting, which centred on the disturbances in Tamale following the ruling, as fruitful.

On Tuesday, a Fast Track High Court, presided over by Mr Justice E.K. Ayebi, acquitted and discharged 15 people accused of allegedly conspiring to murder Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II in March 2002.

President Mills said he felt “very frustrated when I heard of the ruling. I feel nothing but pain”.

“I could very much understand the frustration of the people of Dagbon. I share their frustration; I share their grief; I share their pain”.

He said the people of Dagbon felt frustrated because they felt the security agencies and the Judiciary did not find the murderers of the Ya-Na.

President Mills assured the people of Dagbon that “we have not abandoned them or forgotten our promise to find the murderers of the Ya-Na”.

He, therefore, appealed to the people to remain calm as the government followed the initiatives available to find the killers.

The President refuted claims that he had politicised the issue of finding the killers of the Ya-Na during the 2008 electioneering.

He indicated that it was in the manifesto of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to find the murderers of the Ya-Na and wondered why the search for the murderers could amount to politicisation of the issue.

“What is worst if we say we are going to find the killers? I owe nobody an apology,” he stressed.

On why the government did not set up a commission to reinvestigate the issue, as had been promised, President Mills said it was not the modus that was important but rather the methods to be used to achieve the results, stressing that that choice remained his prerogative.

He said on assumption of office, the government set up an investigative team which relied on documents and other facilities to prosecute the case and indicated that his administration had no regret for doing so.

On the ruling, he said he was yet to see its full content to see whether it was a brilliant ruling or one that could be criticised.

President Mills said, he was still considering visiting the Northern Region as scheduled, despite the agitation in the area, and said he would make that known to Ghanaians when he decided on it.