YENDI CALM AFTER REHABILITATION OF MAUSOLEUM, BUT... (PAGE 31)

THE Acting Northern Regional Police Commander, ACOP Patrick Edusei Sarpong, has described the situation at Yendi as calm after the successful rehabilitation of the Royal Mausoleum in the Gbewaa Palace in the municipality.
The rehabilitation of the mausoleum follows a letter received from the Regent of Dagbon, Kampakuya Naa Abdulai Andani, by the Northern Regional Security Council (REGSEC) and the subsequent approval by the REGSEC.
According to Mr Sarpong, after the REGSEC had received the letter, it was found out that the mausoleum was indeed deteriorating with the onset of the rains.
"The REGSEC, therefore, gave the approval and provided security for the work to be executed, and by 4pm on Sunday, the rehabilitation work had been completed on the said unit," he further explained.
The commander also indicated that since the completion of the rehabilitation works, there had not been any breach of the peace in the traditional area that has suffered some intermittent disturbances since the murder of the Dagbon King, Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II, on March 27, 2002.
However, the Abudu Royal Family in the Dagbon Chieftaincy divide has expressed concern over the latest development.
According to the secretary to the family, Mr Iddrisu Alhassan, they were earlier invited to the Yendi Municipal Security Committee, where they were informed of a directive from the REGSEC for the renovation of the mausoleum.
• Meanwhile members of the Abudu royal family have appealed to President John Evans Atta Mills to consider reassigning the Northern Regional Minister, Mr Stephen Nayina, and “appointing a neutral and matured politician to administer the region” reports Vincent Amenuveve, Tamale.
They noted that the minister’s style of leadership and his alleged bias in handling sensitive matters, particularly on Dagbon chieftaincy matters, was unhealthy for the smooth administration of the region.
Speaking on behalf of the members at a press conference in Tamale on Tuesday, Dr Ziblim Iddi, a lecturer at the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, Legon, said the family had “lost confidence in Mr Nayina as a leader and an honest peace broker”.
He said that on May 14, 2009, the family was invited to a meeting by the Yendi Municipal Coordinating Director where it was informed that the minister had allegedly ordered the coordinating director to provide security for the renovation of the Yilikpani by Members of the Andani family. The Yilikpani is one of the five compounds that constitute the Gbewaa Palace.
According to Dr Iddi, the family objected to such a decision based on a number of reasons, including the fact that by Dagbon custom and tradition, it was only a Ya-Na who could authorise any works to be done at the Yilikpani in consultation with the Kuga-Na.