Wa, Nov 08, GNA - Vice President Aliu Mahama on Sunday reiterated his call on politicians to desist from scoring cheap political points with the Dagbon crisis.

He said the Dagbon crisis must be considered a national tragedy, which required the effort of every Ghanaian to restore peace to the area.

It was therefore unfortunate, he said, that some politicians were deepening the crisis by resorting to lies accusing the NPP administration for masterminding the death of the Dagbon King. Alhaji Mahama said this at Wa on Sunday when he paid a courtesy call on the Chief Imam of Wa, visited elders of Limanyiri Vouri, the Zongo Community, Jengbenyiri and the Akan Community in the municipality. The Vice President said if politicians tried to use the Dagbon crisis to cause a political stir it would backfire as people were now conscious of national issues and could discern the truth from lies and deceit that have the tendency of dividing people.

Vice President Mahama said he is from Yendi and wondered how he or any other person from his party could create problems in Yendi.

Vice President Mahama said former President Rawlings had embarked on a persistent campaign of vilification against President John Agyekum Kufuor and members of his administration, accusing them of being corrupt, thieves and other evils.

The campaign, he said, had been extended to the international community to destroy the image of the President and the nation. Vice President Mahama said this situation was unfortunate, as President Kufuor had resolved to accord his predecessor all the respect and dignity befitting the status of a statesman.

He said President Kufuor had hopes of assigning the former President the role of a distinguished ambassador to represent Ghana at international events and to mediate in conflicts in the sub-region, but he could no longer be relied upon as he has gone around preaching tribalism and other negative issues that had the tendency to divide Ghanaians and undermine the peace and stability of the nation. The Vice President urged other political leaders to preach messages that would seek to unite the people and not by the employment of divisive tendencies.

"Party politics is about unity and development and not destruction, division and maligning which impede progress and development". Prof Kassim Kasanga, Minister of Science and Environment, Mr Sahanun Mogtari, Upper West Regional Minister, Alhaji Moctari Musah Bamba, Member of Parliament for Wenchi East, Mr Ambrose Dery, a Deputy Minister of Justice and Attorney General accompanied the Vice President.