Ya Na to be buried after elections -JAK

Yendi, Nov 28, GNA - Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II, Paramount Chief of the Dagbon Traditional Area, would be buried after Election 2004 scheduled for December 7.

The actual date for the burial has not been fixed but would be performed jointly by the Government and the Dagbon Traditional Council in line with laid down customary practices.

President John Agyekum Kufuor, who announced this last Thursday, said the Ya-Na would be given a burial befitting his status in the Ghanaian society to help reconcile Dagbon to move ahead in development. He announced this when he paid a courtesy call on the Kulga-Na, Alhaji Abdulai Braimah, Regent of Dagbon as part of his five-day official tour of the Northern Region.

President Kufuor said the Government was committed to peace in Dagbon and would work tirelessly to establish the real truth based on justice in the Dagbon crisis.

"God seeks the truth, and at His own time everybody would see the truth", he said.

He appealed to the Kulga-Na to advise all sides to the crisis to ensure the maintenance of peace in Dagbon and Ghana as a whole and should not allow people seeking power for themselves and their selfish interest to manipulate the unfortunate situation to their advantage. President Kufuor reiterated his pledge not to campaign in Yendi, saying, "I will not do politics at Yendi, I will leave it for the people themselves to decide on Yendi soil".

The Kulga-Na said the people in the area were worried about the situation, especially since no one had been held responsible for the death of Ya-Na Yakubu Andani and 30 others about two years ago.

He, therefore, appealed to the Government to endeavour to do everything for the early burial of the Ya-Na after the Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

The Kulga-Na said burial of the Ya-Na would make the people to realise that the Government had fulfilled its pledge and "put its words into action".

An enthusiastic milling crowd at Yendi gave President Kufuor, who was on his way to the Saboba-Chereponi District to address durbars of chiefs and people, a rousing welcome.

At the outskirts of Yendi were bus loads of people some sitting on the carrier, hundreds of cyclists, motorists and six tractors full of people to escort the President through the town.

Speaking to newsmen, the people said their massive turn out was to show their appreciation to the Government, the Ghanaian society and the entire world that there was absolute peace in Yendi and the people were going about their normal duties in peace.

The security men had a hectic time controlling the crowd as they forced the Presidential convoy to a stand still for sometime before the original route was diverted to the Kulga-Na's palace but the ecstatic crowd was unperturbed.