I Have Credible Information On Ya-Na's Murder - J.J. Rawlings
Former President Jerry John Rawlings maintains that he has credible information to circumstances that led to the gruesome murder of the late King of Dagbon, Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani II and other members of his retinue on March 27, 2002. He says any attempt to conduct fresh investigations into the murder of the late Dagbon King will be hopeless if the basis of the exercise does not fall within the precinct of his facts on the matter. Former President Jerry Rawlings made these remarks at the Gukpegu Regent’s Palace in Tamale on Saturday April 2, 2011 as part of his two days fact finding visit to the metropolis. The visit was to offer him the opportunity to ascertain the reality on the ground in-connection with the vandalization and burning of NDC property by angry NDC/Andani youth. Their action was in protest against the Accra Fast Track High Court’s ruling on the Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani trial case at the end of which all 15 Abudu suspects were acquitted and discharged. The former President chastised the President John Evans Atta Mills’ led NDC administration over what he described as its gross incompetence in handling the Yaa-Naa murder case. He mourned over the current leadership of the party he founded based on the principles of probity, accountability and justice and failure to fulfill its elections 2008 campaign promise of ensuring justice in the Yendi saga. “It is a serious indictment on the current NDC administration’s failure to ensure that justice is done to the late Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani and the Issah Mobila cases which were captured in our party’s 2008 manifesto” he charged. Former President Rawlings also expressed his frustration about attempts made by some elements of the ruling government to hijack the party he founded out of the June 4 Uprising in 1981. “I am pretty sad that some unscrupulous elements in government today are skewing to hijack the party I founded out of the June 4 Uprising: but let me assure them that we are on course to bring the NDC back to its proper footing” he stressed. On the recent burning and vandalization of NDC property, former President Rawlings said it was justified but rather too late. According to him, such actions should have been executed earlier to put pressure on the Mills administration to live beyond reproach in handling the Yaa-Naa murder case. He thus reminded government of its responsibility to investigate what in his own words amounted to financial malfeasance during the eight years rule of the erstwhile Kufour led NPP administration. He however pleaded with both the Abudus and Andanis to reconcile and forge ahead in unity. A representative of the Gukpegu Regent, Savelugu Gbanglana Kpema Mahamadu gave government up to Monday April 4 to do something about the court ruling or suffer a major electoral defeat in 2012. He explained that they the Andanis voted the NPP out of power because it denied them justice. “We will vote the NDC out of power in 2012 if it renege its campaign promise of ensuring justice in the murder of our late King of Dagbon” he warned. Former President Rawlings paid courtesy calls on the Chief of Tamale, Naa Dakpema Alhassan Dawuni, the Muslim Clergy and later expected some of the burnt NDC structures. Abdul-Karim Naatogmah