Politicians are fooling Dagombas

Mustapha Hamid delivering his lecture.
Some NPP stalwarts including their flag bearer Nana Akufo-Addo at the lecture.

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Wednesday April 13, 2011.
Mustapha Hamid, an Islamic Studies Lecturer at the University of Cape Coast says that politicians, political parties and governments would never be able to find a permanent solution to the Yendi skin affair and appealed passionately to Dagombas to ignore them and seek peace.

“The back and forth will continue for a long time to come if not forever, if we (Abudu and Andani Gates) don’t take a decision that enough is enough. This conflict has to stop somewhere.”

Mustapha Hamid also a spokesperson for New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and a Director of the Danquah Institute, a policy think tank was delivering this year’s Ferdinand Ayim Memorial Lecture, the fourth in the series, themed: “Islam, Politics and Development: Negotiating the Future of Dagbon,” at the Alisa hotel on Monday.

The lecture which is organized annually in memory of the late Ferdinand Ofori Ayim, then high profile NPP government appointee who met his untimely death at Osino in the Eastern Region on April 7, 2006 on his way to Kwahu to arrange the Paragliding Festival; was attended by NPP stalwarts including Nana Akufo-Addo, Alan Kyerematen, Osafo Maafo, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Felix Owusu Adjapong, Oboshie Sai Coffie, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, Sheikh IC Quaye among others.

Hamid said the time has come for the Abudu and Andani Gates to resolve the differences themselves because “no matter how well-meaning a government’s intervention is, it will leave one side of the divide bruised.”

“So they sit and lick their wounds and wait for a more ‘friendly’ government. And the cycle continues. Indeed none of the sides has ever perceived any government as an independent arbiter. Under the present circumstances, it the Mills administration has not presented itself as capable of independent arbitration.”

“These decades of haggling over succession in Dagbon, built up frustration on both sides of the chieftaincy divide. The Andani family had always been frustrated by the fact that twice in succession; they were denied the occupation of the skin in favour of Abudu candidates. The Abudus on the other hand, have since 1988, been frustrated by their inability to perform the funeral of the late Ya Na Mahamadu Abdulai.”

He said long before 2002 Dagbon was virtually sitting on a ‘powder keg’, which was waiting to explode adding “explode it did between March 25-27 2002” and it is explained by sociologists as the frustration-aggression theory.

Hamid said in the past two weeks, some people have been at pains to remind us that the events of 27th March, 2002 occurred “under the watch of President Kufuor”, as if it is a fact in dispute but said “even before President Mills and his NDC party would come into government, they ridiculed President Kufuor’s efforts, doubted his government’s sincerity and even alleged that the government had a hand in the death of the Ya Na.”

He said in the view of the NDC, finding the person(s) who killed the Ya Na is pre-requisite to reconciliation and peace saying “indeed this kind of politics has divided Dagombas into victims and villains, devils and saints, just and unjust. But, in a democracy people don’t go to jail because the President feels frustrated.”

He insisted that the way for progress and development of Dagbon is to intensify the process of reconciliation an called on all to support the work of the Committee of Eminent Chiefs to help to resolve the conflict.

“I support fully the call of the NPP and its leaders for the nation to go back to the work of the Committee of Eminent Chiefs and I am happy to note that over the weekend the pesewa has finally dropped and that the Government, through the agency of the Vice President, John Mahama, has gone to the Manhyia Palace to ask Otumfuo, the Asantehene, and the Committee of Eminent Chiefs to go back to work, their work deserves the support of all well-meaning Ghanaians.”

He said restorative justice as opposed to retributive justice (which the NDC prefers) should be pursued adding “I dare say that any other form of justice apart from restorative will continue to deepen the wounds and the chasm between these brothers.”

“I say to the Dagbon people; do not listen to those who tell you that you ought to seek vengeance by all means. Let us not compromise in the quest for peace, reconciliation and development,” he said.

He had a word for the youth of Dagbon: “We cannot carry into the future, the baggage of our ancestors and forebears.”

“We are Muslims, at least the majority of us. In Islam, there is no concept of original sin, by which the fathers eat the sour grapes and set the children’s teeth on urge. We cannot spend that time feuding or feeding on politicians’ ego. Let’s seek justice by all means. At the same time, let’s seek peace and reconciliation. After all, that is why we say, Asalamu Alaikum!”

Haruna Alhassan, Managing Director of Metro TV who spoke briefly on the topic: “Media as a tool for peace in the Dagbon” said the media needed to appreciate and understand the social dynamics in the Dagbon conflict.

“It is the lack of understanding of the people that some unscrupulous people including journalists have exploited that Dagbon continues to see no peace.”
He said the media should remind the factions that they are all brothers from one ancestor and always handle the issue with objectivity.

Professor Ken Agyemang Attafuah, a renowned criminologist critiquing Hamid’s lecture said among other things that in the contest of ethnic conflicts restorative justice is always superior to criminal justice.

Gabby Asare Okyere Darko, a Trustee of Ferdinand Ayim Foundation said the Mr. Ayim, before his untimely death was passionate about Dagbon, and indeed played an instrumental role in 2002, to bring down tensions in the aftermath of the death of Ya Na Yakubu Andani II.

He said this year’s lecture is in this regard dedicated to making a constructive contribution to the search for a lasting peace, reconciliation and development in Dagbon.