Otumfuo blames NDC, NPP for Dagbon crisis
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has blamed the two biggest political parties—National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP)— for the difficulty in resolving the Dagbon crisis.
He said while the Committee of Eminent Chiefs, which he chaired, spent time and energy to work to help bring peace to Dagbon, politicians from the two parties continuously stoked the fires for political gains.
The Asantehene, who was speaking at a grand durbar to mark the 40th anniversary of the enstoolment of the Juabenhene, Nana Otuo Siriboe II, at Juaben in the Ashanti Region Saturday, expressed concern that while the NDC said they were for the Andanis, the NDC insist they supported the Abudus.
“I want to stress that politicians can never resolve this protracted Dagbon chieftaincy crisis and they better stay behind to allow the traditional rulers and the Dagbon people themselves to resolve the matter,” he said.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II pointed out that but for the negative activities of politicians, his committee would have put the issue to rest by now.
Mincing no words about the headache politicians were giving him over the Dagbon crisis, he said it was time for them to back off, stressing that he could not continue to play a leading role in the settlement process if the situation persisted.
It was culture at its best at Juaben as Nananom wore the best of clothes and the citizens of the town and well wishers filled every space at the durbar grounds.
The presence of the Vice-President John Dramani Mahama added colour to the occasion, while key personalities from the political parties, including the NPP’s Flag bearer for the 2012 presidential election, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, also took part in the festivities.
Stressing the role of chieftaincy in national development, the Asantehene challenged Nananom to give meaning to the stools they occupied by seeking the welfare of their subjects. A good chief, he noted, was not the one who wore beautiful cloths but the one who led his people to chart a path of development. It was in that vein that he congratulated Nana Siriboe on being a worthy Omanhene.
The Juaben Traditional Area, Otumfuo noted, had seen tremendous development under the Omanhene.
When he mounted the podium, the vice-president said the world had changed and people had become so enlightened that they wanted their chiefs to do what would bring appreciable level of development to them and their communities. He indicated that traditional rulers had significant roles to play in national development and that was why government always recognised them as partners in development.
Mr Mahama pointed out that Ghana was bigger than any single individual and such people must live within the laws of the land. He said as the nation entered the election year, it behoved everyone to avoid acts that could disturb the peace of the nation.
“Government, for its part, will do everything to ensure that the elections are held in an atmosphere of peace,” he assured.
Mr Mahama commended the Asantehene for the laudable role he had played in trying to restore peace to Dagbon and promised that the government would support his committee in its work.
For his part, the Juabenhene enumerated the development projects he had undertaken to included projects in education, health, employment creation and Information and Communications Technology.
He commended the people of the traditional area for the support given him in the past 40 years and expressed the hope that they would continue to throw their weight behind him.
Source: Daily Graphic