Arrest Reporters....For Inflaming Passions In Dagbon! - Security Expert

Security expert Dr. Kwesi Aning has called on the Acting Inspector General of Police John Kudalor to immediately warrant the arrest of reporters on the conflict between the Abudus and Andanis at Dagbon. Speaking in an interview with host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's political programme'Kokrokoo', Dr. Aning described the reports on the Abudu/Andani issue as inciting violence at Dagbon. According to him, the "perpetrators of that report" cannot "write in the manner that they have been written [1] inciting violence or threatening to incite violence and [2] creating the impression that you have a backbone and you can recruit people to do violence or to undertake violent acts. That I will appeal to the IGP and his team to find the perpetrators of that report and nip it in the bud.” A report by Yakubi Abdul-Majeed in the Monday edition of the Ghanaian Times read, "Danger is looming in Dagbon, in the Yendi municipality of the Norther Region, as the protagonists in the Dagbon Chieftaincy conflict issue threats and counter threats. Two weeks ago, the Abudu family of the Dagbon Chieftaincy gate, vowed to use force to occupy the old Gbewaa Palace should the government and other stakeholders fail to allow them access to the palace to perform the funeral of the late Naa Mahammudu Abdulai. On Saturday, the members of the Andani Gate also swore to prevent those fromt the Abudu Gate from moving into the Gbewaa Palace. At a press conference yesterday, the Andani family stated that they would marshal all force to protect and prevent anybody or group, who would attempt to occupy the palace forcibly." "Galwei Tamalgu-Naa O.S. Mahamadu, who read the speech, at the conference, said the Andanis had suffered a lot of injustice for far too long, and they would never sit aloof and have the Abudus continue with the lawlessness," the report ended. But explaining issues to Kwame Sefa Kayi, Dr. Aning noted that "indicating that you can recruit people to undertake acts of violence is a crime. So, it is contingent on the Police Service if they can find the source and the individuals involved to prevent this from escalating.” He further advised the arbitrators in the Abudu/Andani case not to only seek to understand reasons that led to the infighting but rather ask relevant questions like "what is the fighting good for?" To him, asking relevant questions and using the right tools to address the issue "allows us to disaggregate the multiple differentiated interest groups…There are different categories of questions that we need to ask and that will lead us to saying what are incentives driving individuals or groups and how do they align themselves opportunistically over time.”

Source: Adu Gyamfi Ameyaw/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana