Abudu royals petition Asantehene’s mediation C’ttee

The Abudu royals in Dagbon in the Northern Region have petitioned the three eminent chiefs mediating the chieftaincy dispute, reaffirming their temporary boycott of proceedings at the Manhyia palace in Kumasi.

The Abudu royals on Thursday refused to honour an invitation by the committee, for fresh talks, on the implementation of the roadmap to peace in Dagbon.

In a petition cited by Citi News and signed by their Secretary, the Abudu royals accused the three eminent chiefs committee of bias.

They also reiterated the urgent need for renovation of the old Gbewaa palace in Yendi, ceremonial ground for the final funeral rites of the late two Dagbon overlords.

Below is the petition:

THE ABUDU FAMILY’S TEMPORARY BOYCOTT OF THE COMMITTEE OF EMINENT CHIEFS MEDIATION PROCESS ON 28TH JANUARY, 2016.

The Abudu Royal Family has served notice to the Committee of Eminent Chiefs (CEC) on their inability to avail themselves for the committee’s sittings for lack of consistency until certain decisions of the body are implemented. The decision not to honour the sittings of the mediation process begins with the one slated for tomorrow the 29th of February, 2016. The difficulties cited by the family are hereunder explained for the good people of Ghana. We are not making new demands but simply asking that decisions long over-due be implemented:

a. We have noticed, regrettably that the committee has abandoned their own Roadmap to peace document and now operate under the sole direction of a so-called ‘Kuga-Naa’ who is, with the support of the Andani Family, usurping the powers of the Gushei-Naa.

b. The committee has failed to give true meaning to clause ‘i’ of their Roadmap to peace document which states that: ‘’…the old Gbewaa Palace should remain free of occupation or any activity until a date is set for the performance of the funeral rites of Yaa-Naa Mahamadu Abdulai IV’’

c. The intent of the committee, expressed in the Final Peace Agreement, that: ‘’…we therefore conclude that the funeral should take place at the Gbewaa Palace…’’ has not come to fruition. This clause was made in reference to Yaa-Naa Mahamadu Abdulai IV.

d. A visit by Mr. Owusu Boateng, Ashantehene’s Secretary, to the Bolin-Lana Palace with a contractor who was introduced as the one engaged by the committee to rehabilitate the old Gbewaa Palace has not yielded any results.

e. Their most recent promise on December 5, 2015 that ‘’the Abudus…will take occupation of the Gbewaa palace to perform the final funeral rites of Yaa-Naa Mahamadu Abdulai IV between January 8 and 15, 2016’’ has not been fulfilled.

f. We have also noted, with regrets, that the committee has failed to follow the letter and spirit of clause ‘10’ of a ‘Reconciliation Agreement’ reached by the two feuding royal families in 1987 which states that: ‘’on the death of Ex Yaa-Naa Mahamadu Abdulai, he should be accorded the full funeral rites of a Yaa-Naa in the light of the Supreme Court ruling of 17th December, 1986’’.

With the benefit of this legally binding document, crafted by the two feuding families, and made accessible to the committee in a memo submitted in 2002, it is still lost as to the way forward even though they have taken cognizance of this document in their roadmap to peace.

There were seven representatives for either family and the government side. With the wisdom of these Dagbon chiefs and their knowledge of Dagbon custom, they unanimously agreed that the office of a Yaa-Naa cannot be truncated whatsoever except by death.

This memo of agreement was signed by all parties. We believe all the Andani chiefs in attendance and the late Naa Yakubu Andani II who counter-signed this document couldn’t have been ignorant of the traditions of Dagbon in the execution of that noble assignment.

Given these reasons amongst other things, the family has been compelled to temporally suspend appearance before the Committee pending commencement of rehabilitation works at the old Gbewaa Palace as contemplated in the above submissions.

We are convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the Committee has preponderance of evidence before it to take the giant step of rehabilitating the old Gbewaa Palace for the funerals to take place there. There is absolutely nothing to negotiate about as far as this already settled matter is concerned.

Thanks