Don't mingle Mobila's death with Politics - TYA

Tamale, Dec.14, GNA - The Tamale Youth Association (TYA) has appealed to the general public not to mingle the death of the late Alhaji Issah Mobila with politics or the chieftaincy divide in Dagbon. The TYA expressed concern about the way and manner people were trying to associate Alhaji Mobila's death with politics, saying, "In the first place he was a Moshie and not a Dagomba and should not be associated with Abudu or Andani".

The late Mobila was also the Northern Regional Chairman of the Convention People's Party (CPP) and some political parties should not hijack his death to disturb the peace in the Metropolis.

A press statement issued on Monday and signed by Mr Albert Atutiga, Vice President of the Association appealed to youth in the Metropolis to continue to maintain the peace that they had shown since the death of Alhaji Mobila on December 9, 2004.

The TYA advised the youth to remain calm and allow the due process of law to take its course, saying, "we do not want more causalities or witness a tragedy in the Metropolis again."

The statement noted that some evil plotters in the Metropolis were again at work and were exploiting the situation for the "devil to open the gates of hell" on the people in the Metropolis.

The TYA therefore, urged the youth to be wary of such people and exercise restrain for the interest of peace and development in the area. The statement said relations between the TYA and the security agencies, especially the military had been cordial and this was disturbing some evil-minded people in the area who were now bent on using Alhaji Mobila's death to their advantage by misleading and feeding the security agencies with false information in order to cause confusion.

The TYA appealed to the security agencies to give a fair treatment to suspects in their custody as demanded by the laws of the land and ensure that persons who had a hand in the death of Alhaji Mobila were apprehended.

The organisation urged the general public to cooperate with the security agencies to get rid of troublemakers from the Metropolis by volunteering information to the security agencies.

The statement called on the Northern Regional Security Council (REGSEC) to withdraw its "blanket directives" to soldiers to return fire for fire in whichever direction it came in its letter of Dec. 9, 2004 in the wake of disturbances in the Metropolis.

It noted, "clearly to return fire for fire means free killing of innocent people, including the blind, women and children who may be in that direction"

The TYA also appealed to the REGSEC to rescind its decision to allow suspects picked up be put in military custody since that was a violation of the constitution.

The statement called on the government to encourage blacksmiths in the Metropolis to produce farm implement and other tools instead of locally manufactured guns, spears and dangerous knives.

The organisation called on Ghanaians to maintain peace in the country to enable the government to carry out its development programmes to bring prosperity and progress to the people.