NDC Diabolic Ploy Exposed

DIABOLIC PLANS by the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) to allegedly dwell on the long standing Dagbon chieftaincy crisis to maximize votes ahead of the December polls has been exposed.

The NDC after failing to set up a commission of inquiry to unravel the mystery surrounding the murder of the late Dagbon overlord, Ya-na Yakubu Andani II as promised prior to the 2008 elections has resorted to other means to please the people it disappointed.

Some leading members of the party including the youth went berserk when on March 29, 2011 an Accra Fast Track High Court acquitted and discharged all 15 persons mostly Abudu suspects standing trial for the murder of the late Ya Na for want of evidence.

This was followed by the immediate resignation of the entire Northern regional executives of the NDC in solidarity with the rioting youth.

Fearing that one of its strongholds was about to crash, the NDC party claimed it was going to appeal the ruling.

Exactly a year later, the party is allegedly charting a new path to please the aggrieved Andani youth some of whom are threatening to vote skirt-and-blouse in the December elections.

It is alleged that one of its mechanisms is to provide the regent, Kampakuya Naa Abudulai Andani Yakubu, the protection to enskin a number of sub chiefs.

This action according to the Abudu royal family, breaches “Clause F” of the Road Map to Peace agreed upon by both parties before the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Chairman of the mediating committee.

According to the clause, the regent is barred from enskinning chiefs, sub chiefs and the alienation of lands but all these the Abudus noted, have been breached with the alleged support of the NDC government.

Sources indicate that ever since the numerous enskinments began early this year, more than 30 chiefs and sub chiefs have been given symbols of authority despite concerns that it was in violation of rules set by the mediation committee.

In some of these cases which ended in bloodbaths and deaths, armed police and the military provided protection to the Kampakuya Naa.

When the Bolinlana Mahamadu Abdulai, Regent of Late Ya-Naa Mahamadu Abdulai IV revolted claiming it was a deliberate attempt to wipe out the Abudus from the succession line, government allegedly took a different opinion.

The Bolinlana subsequently went ahead to enskin Natogmah Ziblim as Chief of Kpatinga under the skin name Kpatinlana Natogmah Ziblim. But the Kampakuya Abudulai Andani Yakubu was reported to have enskinned one Kunkonlana as chief of the same area at the same time that he was being enskinned.

Later, Kpatinlana Natogmah Ziblim on arriving at his palace was hounded out by the military and escorted to Tamale while government in a well orchestrated agenda provided security for the occupation of the other chief.

Sources say all these are attempts by the ruling party to avert incurring the wrath of the Andanis following its failure to fulfill the promise it made to them.

It is unclear if the new step allegedly taken by the NDC will make up for its failed promise but some security experts are worried it could have serious repercussions on the future security of the region.

Source: Stephen Zoure, Tamale/Daily Guide