Prez on quiet diplomacy to resolve Dagbon crisis
President John Dramani Mahama says he has started diplomatic moves on the quiet to resolve the Dagbon chieftaincy dispute in the Northern Region to bring lasting peace to the area.
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He said the moves had started producing positive results, which indicated that the chieftaincy dispute would be resolved very soon.
President Mahama dropped the hint during a courtesy call on him by chiefs from the Dagbon Traditional Council.
The delegation, led by the Regent of Dagbon, Kampakuya-Na Andani Yakubu Abdulai, was at the seat of government to congratulate the President on the confirmation of his victory in the 2012 election by the Supreme Court.
The meeting afforded the chiefs the opportunity to introduce members of the council to the President and pledge their unflinching support to his administration. They also made a few observations on the state of the country.
Dagbon
President Mahama said as a son of the north and President of Ghana, his greatest achievement for the area would be to resolve the Dagbon chieftaincy conflict and extend development projects to the area.
He stressed the need for effective collaboration between the government and chiefs to propel socio-economic development and resolve all disputes.
He said he would continue to consult with chiefs to bring lasting peace to Dagbon.
Corruption
The President affirmed his resolve to fight corruption, and indicated that the focus would be on prevention but warned that perpetrators would be dealt with according to the law.
He called for collaboration among all Ghanaians in the fight against corruption.
President Mahama thanked the chiefs and people of the north for their continued support for him and his administration.
Regent of Dagbon
In a speech read on his behalf, Kampakuya-Na Abdulai lauded the government for the relative calm within the Dagbon Traditional Area and the Yendi municipality in particular.
"Even though there have been some incidents of unrest relative to the enstoolment of some chiefs, the security agencies have often intervened to maintain law and order.
"We strongly urge the government to make the traditional area one of its topmost priorities and take the initiatives that should help us resolve definitely the Dagbon crisis, as peace will attract investors to facilitate development in the area.
"It is my desire to work for not just a united Abudu-Andani front, but also the unity of all ethnic groups in Dagbon. It is my resolve to work with everyone to achieve this objective," the Regent of Dagbon said.
He urged the President to deal ruthlessly with corruption, irrespective of who was involved, to showcase his resolve to deal with the social canker.
"As our own, you were brought up in a culture in which righteousness, discipline, honesty and integrity are its watchwords.
"Therefore, the attributing these social cankers to your administration, whether perceived or real, is of great concern to us," Kampakuya-Na Abdulai said.