President John Agyekum Kufuor has said that he would have gone to any length to protect the late Ya-Na Yakubu Andani, whom he described as an old personal friend; if he had known that his life was threatened.

Reacting to claims that he had promised to protect the assassinated Ya-Na if he was elected Head of State, President Kufuor said though he did not make any pledge to that effect, it was the responsibility of the state to protect the life of every Ghanaian and the Ya-Na was no exception.

President Kufuor, who was answering a question on the Dagbon crisis at a news conference, his second since he assumed office, dismissed speculations that he betrayed the Ya-Na, saying such rumours should cease. The King of the second largest traditional area, after Ashanti in Ghana, was assassinated at Yendi in March during clashes between the Andanis and Abudus, the two royal gates of the Dagbon.

Some members of the Andani Gate have accused certain government officials as members of a group that masterminded the murder of the Dagbon King. The Andanis who boycotted the Wuaku Commission set up to investigate the crisis, after the 105th witness was called, have also accused the government of having sympathies for the Abudus and supporting their cause.

President Kufuor said Ya-Na Yakubu Andani welcomed him to his private quarters for his wives to greet him on his visits to his palace, adding, "such was the nature of relationship between us."

He described the murder of the King as a dastardly act, "which came to me as a shock. It is a matter of regret to me that some people have sought to take undue advantage of the tragedy to promote their personal and narrow sectional interests." On why he had not visited Yendi since the events, President Kufuor said:" I will choose to go to Yendi, and when I do, it will be to bring people together and restore harmony to Dagbon.

"It will not be for public relations reason. The report of the Commission of Enquiry is expected soon and hopefully it will provide requisite leads to actions that would help establish the truth to form the basis for justice and reconciliation in Dagbon land."

Shedding some light on why he had not visited Yendi, the President said: "I am well aware that one faction in the dispute has had to literally abandon the town. The question is should I go simply to see members of the other faction? What sort of healer of wounds would I be?

Asked whether he would accept the recommendations of the Wuaku Commission for implementation, in view of the reservations of the Andanis on the Commission's work, President Kufuor said the government's consideration would be to seek the truth for justice to prevail.

"We do not have the report yet and the deadline for submission is 31 October. But when we receive it we would consider its merits and our action would not satisfy individual and partisan interests but ensure that true justice is administered." President Kufuor said other steps, such as sending of numerous delegations and emissaries to Dagbon to get all sides in the conflict to relent in their postures, were geared towards reconciliation and restoring peace in the area.

Answering a question on why he had not visited the Upper East and West Regions since his election, President Kufuor said his heavy workload contributed to his delayed trip to those areas.

"I have not marginalized any area because every part of the nation is important to us. I would certainly visit those areas soon," he said. The two-hour news conference, held at the Castle was attended by a number of journalists from both the state-owned and private media. Vice President Mahama and more than 25 Ministers of State and public officials attended the event, which according to President Kufuor, would be held every quarter.