Many development activities in the Dagbon State have been disrupted as a result of the protracted conflict arising out of the killing of Ya Na Yakubu Andani II in 2002.
Since that unfortunate incident, the two Royal gates in Dagbon — the Andanis and the Abudus — have refused to co-exist peacefully. The Abudus and the Andanis can be found in all the communities in Dagbon, and in most of the communities they are neighbours but they do not share their common concerns.
The two groups have since 2002 clashed over matters that can be resolved at the negotiation table and this has stalled the esprit de corps in an otherwise peaceful environment.
The threat to peace and stability in the area has affected even efforts by the government to pursue programmes and policies.
At present, the government has to redirect resources meant for development activities into peace-building efforts, including the deployment of security personnel, so that law-abiding citizens can go about their activities without let or hindrance.
The conflict in Dagbon is becoming a peptic sore that requires drastic action to heal. Certainly, as a nation, we need a balancing act to address the conflict because if a painful decision is not taken to tackle the wound on a child’s heel, he or she risks being amputated.
We have been handling the Dagbon crisis for some time now without success, but we need to deal with the challenges now to set the area on the path of reconstruction.
Yendi, the traditional capital of Dagbon, was once a very vibrant trading post that served many communities in the Northern and Volta regions. However, the conflict has reduced the municipality into a pale shadow of itself.
The people are not being restricted in their movement, as they still carry out their daily activities on most days as if nothing has happened in the Dagbon State.
Nonetheless, there is no unanimity in the way traditional affairs should be conducted, as the road map to peace is not being followed to the letter.
Last Thursday, chiefs from the Andani and Abudu Royal families paid a courtesy call on the Northern Regional Minister, Mr Bede Ziedeng, in Tamale, during which they acknowledged the essence of peace and its impact on development.
They were not happy with the numerous development challenges in the area and called on the government to fix the problems.
There are other development gaps such as bad roads and high unemployment rate among the youth who are used to exacerbate the conflict.
The decision of the two Royal gates to jointly call on the regional minister must be commended, but we hope the initiative will not be just cosmetic and a public relations gimmick.
The Daily Graphic urges the leaders of Dagbon to bury the hatchet and return to the past when the two gates, incidentally from the same ancestry, could sit at table to think about the development path of Dagbon.
We also call on the Committee of Eminent Chiefs to intensify its mediation efforts to bring a lasting peace to Dagbon.
It is about time the people of Dagbon resolved to leave the conflict behind in order to have the peaceful environment to rebuild from the ashes of internecine conflict.
