Open Letter To The People Of Dagbon

; RAWLINGS, KUFFOUR AND THOSE WHO MATTER: RESOLVE THIS CONFLICT.

“I wanted somehow to create a new path, to transform mistrust into trust, fear into confidence, an unhealthy lingering over the past into a commitment to the future. In every country l’ve visited, I have always felt how earnestly people everywhere yearn for peace”.
Dr. Daisaku Ikeda (Buddhist Philosopher and President of Soka Gakkai International, in article “THOUGHTS ON PEACE”.
Your Excellencies; people of Dagbon and entire people of the North, I have painstakingly considered this letter to you for the past three years, but have not had the COURAGE to put my thoughts on paper. It is so because, the IMOTIONAL BALANCE that I so much required was lacking.

As a matter of fact each time I make an attempt, tears flow down my face. This final effort is no exception, and I prefer writing in the midst of emotional chokes, to abandoning it forever. My first concern is to you, your Excellency former President J.J. Rawlings.

EX- PRESIDENT J. J. RAWLINGS
Your Excellency, as I stated, I had to shelf myself all these years because I had a problem controlling myself. What has however, brought me out of that seclusion is your recent concerns raised before one of the feuding factions of the Dagbon crises leader, Lawyer IBRAHIM MAHAMA. He leads the ANDANI faction of the conflict.

I am still struggling to piece up this address to you, because, I see you and your fellow ex-President Kuffour to be the only two statesmen, who can COLLECTIVELY, CONVENIENTLY and EFFECTIVELY bring the two factions together to talk PEACE.


The imminent PEACE BUILDER I quoted for my preamble to this address, went further to state that; “No matter what justification may be offered, in my view, there is absolutely no such thing as a JUST and CORRECT war. WAR treats human life as a means to an end, and it brings only TERRIBLE SUFFERING and unhappiness to ordinary men and women on both sides” (my emphasis).

In this regard, I am appealing to you and all MEN of HONOUR, that you reconsider whatever justification that would further foment MISTRUST in the current crises, by seeking avenues that would bring PEACE to the Dagbon area.

Let me plead with you, that your persistence for JUSTICE could be in the right direction. However, looking at the complex nature of the crises that led to the murder of the Ya-Na, I see the pursuance of CRIMINAL JURISPRUDENCE and JUSTICE, as ACTS that would forever build MISTRUST.

Your Excellency, as a northerner myself, I know how you are REVERED throughout the three northern regions. This stature that you have built for yourself, to me, is an ESSENTIAL tool of POSITIVE influence that is capable of holding us HYPNOTICALLY CAPTIVE. In fact, it can melt down the TENSION inherent in DAGBON.

What I, therefore, feel you can use this POWERFUL ‘TOOL’ of INFLUENCE for, is to get the ANDANIS to sit down and re-evaluate the situation, and see whether CONSTRUCTIVE engagement could lead us somewhere out of the current DESTRUCTIVE engagement. You should, therefore, be looking at how you can use it to “… transform MISTRUST into TRUST, FEAR into CONFIDENCE….”, as envisioned by Dr. Daisaku Ikeda.


Your Excellency, the influence you have over, especially the Andanis, and to some extent, the ABUDUS; could be used by telling them that this is not an individual-to- individual affair. It is a faction-to-faction affair. In situations of the sort “… we must seek FORGIVENESS and acceptance of GUILT, promising ‘NEVER AGAIN should this happen to us’

Kindly play back to memory, the South African experience, where BEASTLY acts by Apartheid agents committed against the black people in their own HOMELAND by the whites. BUT, when the MADIBA, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, took over the reigns of governance of that country, he defused the TENSION of VENGEACE that had built up over time.

It is, therefore, not even his 28years in JAIL that made him what he is today. He became a HEROE as a result of his INCARCERATION. He attained the status of a SUPER HEROE - indeed, an ICON, due to his MAGNANIMITY to FORGIVE, by entreating his kinsmen to equally forgive. His initiative at living the past behind and forging ahead in UNITY has beautified South Africa physically and morally.

Your Excellency, in “The Telltale Heart”, authored jointly by Charles R. Lawrence III and Mari Matsuda, both Professors of Law, say of securing the future of our citizenry. It states, “… This historical memory, the careful judgment made on the record of history, is the only INOCULATION we have against FUTURE HARM. This is not endless, useless GUILT; it is judgment with UTILITY. It takes PAST harm as the TEACHING that will SHELTER future citizens”.

The Andanis must be told that notwithstanding the unfortunate incident, life must go on. Whatever they do cannot bring back the late KING. The bravado that is at their disposal should be used in talking PEACE that would end up benefiting, not only they; the Andanis – but the ABUDUS and at large Dagbon, the Northern regions and Ghana as a whole.

Your Excellency, for the sake of this call to duty that I am urging you to take up, there is the urgent need to leave behind whatever differences you may have with your colleague former President Kuffour, and be the quo-conduit of the VEHICLE of PEACE in this regard. Let me, therefore, address your colleague as well.

EX PRESIDENT J. A. KUFFOUR
Your Excellency, immediate past President of our motherland, the Republic of Ghana. I salute you. I have just partly addressed your brother, the former President J.J. Rawlings, of which I know you are all reading almost at the same time or day.

After reading what has been assigned him, there would not be the need to roll-over again. You would however, realize that my concerns are on Dagbon. Agreeably, and factually so, it was during your occupancy of the Presidency, that the over-lord of Dagbon was murdered along-side a good number of his elders and family.

At the time of the incident, so many lapses were unconsciously/consciously at play, leading to the then avoidable occurrence.
Certain proceeding developments, thereon, made people to come out with their own opinions bordering on political considerations.

The Abdulai Gate of the Dagbon crises aka ABUDUS are seen to be sympathizers of the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition. Currently, the Adanis are considered to be sympathetic to the NDC.

Accusations were, therefore, made to the effect that your government was supportive of the unfortunate act. Partly, the accusation came from your colleague ex-president Rawlings. As stated earlier, it is because of his latest call for JUSTICE that I am bringing myself together, to address you.

My concern is not whether the ABUDUS are indeed pro-NPP or ANDANIS are NDC. What I do want to make clear, is that your administration did not manage the situation well. Indeed your attempt at resolving the then volatile situation was effortful. However, there were lapses that, for the purposes of this address to you, are not relevant.

The hard fact is that, politics did not create the “…… Traditional Dispute….” in Dagbon, as the current best selling book “THE YENDI WAR…… The Real Facts and How Politicians Turned a Traditional Dispute into Politics of ATTRITION” seeks to portray.

It is agreeably true, therefore, that the problem was created by the people of Dagbon. However, various political parties/military governments which ruled this country at one point in time, used it to their advantage.

Thus, it is POLITICAL EXPEDIENCE, albeit NEGATIVE that has led the crises to its present unmanageable state.

In my view, since both factions are now leaning on the two major political parties i.e. the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC); you – the politicians should take up the task of reuniting these ‘factional’ brothers.

Fortunately, both you and your colleague brother ex-President Rawlings, are professed Catholics. You should look at the Christian Principle of FORGIVENESS; by forgiving yourselves of whatever you may have done against one another, and forge ahead to tackling this biggest HURDLE of our time.

The two of you must create the history that is so much desired, from the day you read this letter to you. If you fail to take up this MANTLE of HONOUR, your lives on this earth, and in this country – would have been, excuse me to state, USELESSLY lived. Whatever contribution you may have made to the communion of HUMANITY, would fizzle out at your COLLECTIVE FAILURE in SECURING PEACE for the Dagbon area.

Your Excellency, I am signing off on you with this quote from Dr. Daisaku again, which states; “…Thus, it is up to us to construct a world without war. Whether we give up on this as an impossible goal, or whether we continue the challenge, however great the difficulties involved – on this, fate of the entire 21st century depends”.

The FATE of Ghana in the 21st century, is the Dagbon crises. Your resolve (the two of you) to taking on this challenge, is my expectation, I believe many others who yearn to see PEACE in the area. Make yourselves the HEROES of the 21st century in Ghana.

TO THE ABUDUS AND ANDANIS ET ALL DAGOMBAS
MBA-BIISI NI MMABIISI, it is with a heavy heart that I am putting words on paper, ERNESTLY pleading that you should not only read – but read it with the PASSION that it carries.

For close to a decade now since the almost century old of this simmering conflict which finally exploded to a three-day full scale war, people of my type have equally known NO PEACE. It is so, because notwithstanding the fact that I am not from Dagbon, I am ancestrally woven to Dagbon, just as other tribes of the north which emanate from the MBA – BIA /MMA - BIA fraternity.

When Dagbon shakes, it is like the entire north is shaking, especially we, who come from the Upper-East region. Motor transport from the south through Tamale becomes a problem.

That is a problem that concerns me. It is however, a less bi-product of the war. The major bi-product of any war is when people get displaced, which leads them into lives of DESTITUTION. It could be internal displacement, or the type that sends people into other countries.

It is normally an eye-sour when I find myself around the Makola area in the central part of Accra. I normally suffer the worst of insulting scenes when I see young ladies who could pass for my sisters and daughters, running after moving-buses just to secure luggages to carry for fees. These types of scenes are worse at the ‘Kuffour’ bus station around the Tudu area.

My heart normally aches when I observe them. I cannot understand why these daughters and sisters are not in school. I cannot fathom why the services they render are not even appreciated – but SCORNED. This is what the CONFLICT has thrown back to us.

For the suffering that these people are experiencing which was not CAUSED by them - you, my elder brothers and fathers claiming to be OPINION LEADERS, cannot stop this conflict?

Why should you, OPINION LEADERSHIP be effective only at aggravating the conflict rather than RESOLVING it. What would we achieve if we are rooted in our unchanging positions.

The only things that we can achieve are: 1. our BACKWARDNESS in education would grow four-fold, if not ten-fold, 2. Development projects will be stalled and the government may have a justification for that. 3. People will keep insulting us in radio stations as people who are too WAR hungry.

What I expect of you, the opinion Leaders, are that, if you are worth such titles, you should have the POWER to hold the staff that can whip-in PEACE wherever it is gone to – back to DAGBON.

That, you, the opinion leaders of the ABUDUS and ANDANIS must understand that MOTHER GHANA and NA YAKUBU I, your earthly great, great physical grand- father, is turning in his grave RESTLESSLY for what is happening to his great, great grand children. You must, therefore, accept any attempt that would be made by the two former presidents, should they acknowledge my candid appeal, towards the peaceful resolution of this problem.

The enormous task itself is on you, sons and daughters of DAGBON. If we care for the survival and success of our children, grand children, great grand and great-great grand children, then we OUGHT to stop this CONFLICT - NOW. We cannot AFFORD to FAIL.

I am assigning this quote of Dr. Daisaku to you when he stated; “Natural disasters such as floods or earth-quakes cannot be prevented by human reason or wisdom. But problems that are caused by human beings themselves can be resolved by human beings.

The Noble Peace Prize Laureate, Linus Pauling states in his book “NO MORE WAR”, that; “I believe that there is a greater POWER in the world than the evil power of military force, or nuclear bombs – there is the power of GOOD, of MORALITY, or HUMANITARIANISM. I believe in the power of HUMAN SPIRIT” (my caps).

The spirit of humanism must urge you, the people of Dagbon, to for once say, ‘we are TIRED of this conflict, it is time for us to develop our individual potential, geared towards over-all development of Dagbon to a modern day human settlement.

This is my task to you, ex-President J.J. Rawlings and J.A. Kuffour; the ABUDUS and ANDANIS, and to all PEACE LOVING people of Ghana. It is my prayer that the good Lord listens to my prayer by giving wisdom to all those who would be playing meditative roles; calming the nerves of OPINION leaders to give PEACE a chance. I cannot resist this quote of Moshe Dayan (1915-1981) when he said of peace, that, “…If you want to make PEACE, you don’t talk to FRIENDS, you talk to your ENEMIES.” Thank you for allowing me take you through this marathon reading.

PEACE BE WITH YOU ALL.
Camillus Maalneriba-Tia Sakzeesi
Tel: 0266223333 /0249488120
E-mail: [email protected]