Kumasi, July 4, GNA - Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, has appealed to eminent chiefs and elders of Dagbon Traditional Area to ensure that the people in the area live together as brothers and sisters.

He said there was the need for a concerted effort to ensure that lasting peace and unity prevail in the area. The Asantehene was addressing the Committee of Eminent Chiefs and Elders mediating in the Dagbon Chieftaincy affairs at the Manhyia palace in Kumasi on Friday. The meeting which was held behind closed doors centred on the proposed programme for the funeral of the late Naa Mohamadu Abudulai IV, Ya Na.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu, who is the Chairman of the Committee, expressed concern about the drudgery that Committee members had to go through in the face of numerous sittings and adjournments saying, "it is a bit frustrating". Briefing newsmen on the outcome of the meeting, Mr. George Osei-Antwi, Media Director at the Palace, said the Eminent Chiefs congratulated the Asantehene for sacrificing his time to find a lasting solution to the crisis. He recalled that when the Committee met the two gates - the Andanis and Abudus - the Eminent Chiefs made some recommendation on how the funeral should be performed, but the Abudu's pleaded for time to enable them study it.

He said it was recommended by the Chiefs that the funeral takes 10 to 14 days but after going through it, the Abudu's extended it to 19 days and when their programme was read at the last meeting three days ago, the Committee adjourned its sitting to Friday July 4. He said the Andanis raised concerns with some customary and traditional inaccuracies in the programme and after a lengthy discussion, the Asantehene ruled that another date be fixed for the chiefs to meet and decide if the guidelines should be amended after which it would be presented to government for approval.