...Two Gates Tell Their Story

The Andani and Abudu gates who clashed last week in the Yendi chieftaincy dispute leaving the Ya-Na dead and others massacred, have narrated how the whole incident happened from each own perspective.

The leader of the Abudu Gate, Iddrisu Iddi said it was the Andani people who began the fight on Sunday, March 24.

"Some pellets even landed in our area. The firing resumed on Monday 25. By 7:00pm, we were exchanging gun fire."

The Andanis on their part said that it was the Abudus who attacked them without any provocation.

Zohi-Na Mahamuda Salifu, their spokesman said "we heard people going about saying that 'yes we have killed the Ya-Na and beheaded him. We have burnt the Palace too. We have achieved our aim."

Each faction had the opportunity to tell their side of the story when their representatives separately met the government delegation despatched to the North on a fact finding and conciliatory mission last weekend.

The delegation had separate meetings with each of the Gates.

First was the Abudu Gate. The Leader of the Gate, Iddrisu Iddi, who is also the Regent's Chief Linguist, said despite their differences, they had co-existed in peace until the issue of the succession to the Dagbon Kingship cropped up in 1969.

Iddrisu said since Ya-Na Andani Yakubu was confirmed as King, twenty-eight years ago, his people have not known peace. The Abudu Gate has been treated with levity.

He said they had several times been prevented from celebrating traditional events and other occasions their own way. This, he added, was in sharp contrast with what obtained when Ya-Na Mahamadu Abdulai (Abudu Gate) was reigning and Yakubu was the regent of the Andani Gate.

He claimed Yakubu was given all the liberties and courtesies befitting a regent until the tables turned against the Abudu Gate. They, therefore, wondered why the same liberties and courtesies could not be extended to their regent, Bolin Lana Mahamadu.

Iddrisu said during the Id-El-Adah festival in February, the Andanis attempted to put some impediments in the way of the Abudus just to prevent them from celebrating it. But eventually, despite some isolated skirmishes, sanity prevailed.

Then came the Bugum festival. As usual, there were schemes to prevent them from celebrating it. This brought about tension and rancour between the two Gates, to the extent that the Yendi District Security Committee (DISEC) had to impose a curfew on the town, beginning on Sunday, March 24. Certainly it meant the festival would not come on.

Later, Iddrisu continued, they heard that there was agitation against the curfew at the King's Palace. Not quite long, the then Northern Region Minister, Prince Moro Andani approached him to say the curfew had been lifted for the festival to be celebrated as tradition demanded.

Iddrisu said he had already informed his people not to come out for the celebration of the festival. So, although he was surprised about, and indignant by the sudden turn of events, he told his people that any of them who wished to celebrate the festival could do so.

He added that while the parley with the Minister was going on, warning shots rang out from the direction of the King's Palace.

"Some pellets even landed in our area. The firing resumed on Monday, March 25. Then a youth from the Andani side came and said we would see that day. Shortly, a house on our side caught fire. So I called my elders and told them the situation is now serious so everybody should go and protect his house."

"By 2:00pm we were exchanging gun fire. They were firing towards us and we were also firming towards them. Neither the Police nor the soldiers could intervene. The Andanis were attacking and we were also attacking. As we forced them to retreat the exchanges escalated."

That was how Iddrisu ended his submission for the Abudu Gate.

Representatives of the Andani Gate did not say much to the Government delegation led by Mr. J. H. Mensah, the Senior Minister. They simply threw the issue into the court of the Government delegation.

Recounting their side of the story, their leader, Zohi-Na Mahamudu Salifu, said on Sunday, March 24, the Ya-Na sent a messenger to ask him whether he had heard that a curfew was going to be imposed on the town.

Indeed he was not aware, so he also sent somebody to ask one of the elders, Kuga-Na, whether he had heard about the curfew. He also denied knowledge of it. So the King decided to ask the Regional Minister the reason for the curfew.

He called the Minister on phone and told him he saw no reason why there should be a curfew when there was no insecurity in Yendi and asked him to come down.

The Minister arrived at Yendi to hear the King's complaints and reservations. With the assurance that all was well, the Minister lifted the curfew and left. But it was quickly re-imposed on Monday 26.

On Monday morning as they were preparing for the festival, Iddrisu said he heard the sound of gunshots from the Palace. It continued from that Monday throughout Tuesday till around 10:00am on Wednesday when everywhere became quiet.

Later we heard people going about saying that: 'yes we have killed the Ya-Na and beheaded him. We have burnt the Palace too. We have achieved our aim'.

Then I said to my self, if my junior brother, the King, has been killed who am I to stay alive. So I went into hiding with my family. Since then we have not seen the King and those who were usually with him.

Then Salifu concluded: "That is why we are pleased that the Government delegation is here. We expect you to tell us whether the King is dead or not. If you have established that he is dead, give us his corpse so that we can bury him befittingly as custom demands. In the history of Dagbon, a King has never died this way. We are so stunned and helpless. We believe you can unravel this mystery for us."

The Government delegation regretted the Ya-Na's death and conveyed the Government's condolence to the families of the victims.

Mr. J. H. Mensah said when brothers live together there would certainly be differences. But dialogue, rather than war is the most suitable way to settle their differences.

He said Government does not support any of the Gates in this conflict. It will, therefore, do all it could to bring the culprits to book. He added that the welfare of the victims will be catered for and entreated them to unite and live together.

Indeed the Andanis believe that some Dagbon dignitaries, high up in Government, have a hand in the calamity that has befallen Dagbon.

And a delegation of Andani Chiefs, led by the Kumbungu-Na Iddi II told the Government delegation, in no uncertain terms, that they suspect named individuals are behind the plot to murder the Ya-Na.

They are all Abudus. They said their suspicion is based on both covert and overt actions of these dignitaries.

Although there are many in Tamale who do not attach specific names to those behind the conflict, they as well as the ordinary people, are asking: where were the soldiers and police when the Ya-Na's Palace was being attacked? What were they doing for good three days? Why is it that while the clash lasted - between Monday and Wednesday - Yendi telephone lines went dead and electricity supply was cut off? Why is it that immediately after the hostilities on Wednesday these utilities were restored?

In terms of security arrangements, the Chronicle gathered that initially, the number of security personnel on the ground could not contain the situation. The battery of the armoured vehicle that could have been used was reportedly down.

Consequently, as the exchange of fire escalated it became more foolhardy to attempt any rescue operation or separation without an armoured car.

By Thursday 28, Tamale was pregnant with latent tension, passion and animosity, especially among the Andani youth.

While some crowded the Gulkpe-Na's Palace, others besieged Lawyer Ibrahim Mahama's residence.

In the midst of the confusion about the Ya-Na's death, they wanted to know whether he was alive or dead. As the hope for his survival waned, the youth became restless and persistently pestered the chiefs and dignitaries in Mahama's residence for assurance or otherwise.

Some were indignant with the hierarchy in Tamale and for that matter Northern Region. They think the political leverage they accorded the NPP by voting for them during the 2000 Presidential run-off has boomeranged.

One of them summed it up thus: "We expressed our fears to our leaders that it was dangerous to vote for the NPP because some of them had vowed that they would remove the Ya-Na if their party came to power. Now see what has happened. Haven't they done it?"

The youth felt betrayed by their leaders.

Alhaji Abubakar Al-Hassan, National Chairman of the CPP; Alhaji Ibrahim Mahama, Vice Presidential nominee of the CPP in the last election; Mr. Alabira Ibrahim, former CPP Member of Parliament for Mion Constituency and Alhaji Sheriff of Savannah Construction, all of the Andani Gate, are working around the clock to avert any eventually.