President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has thanked Dagbon for the support and encouragement over these last eight years and appreciated the work done together to ensure the peace, stability and progress of Dagbon.
He said this after receiving praise and applause from the overlord of the Dagbon Traditional area for superintending the restoration and maintenance of much-desired peace in Dagbon.
President Akufo-Addo, on Tuesday 15th October 2024, visited the Yaa Naa at the Gbewaa Palace in Yendi as part of a scheduled two-day tour of the Northern, North East and Savanna regions.
Yaa Naa Abukari Andani II, the overlord of Dagbon, conveyed the gratitude of Dagbon to the President for speedily yet tactfully resolving the protracted Dagbon conflict which had hitherto claimed lots of lives and stated that his name will forever be etched in the history of Dagbon and the country.
“Your decisive leadership in ending the protracted mediation process between Abudu and Andani families through the esteemed committee of eminent Chiefs which included His Majesty the Nayiri, His Majesty the Yagbonwura and His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, is the masterstroke that paved the way for the performance of the funerals of our two deceased Yaa Naa.”
He also referred to President Akufo-Addo’s continued support to ensure the installation of the new Yaa Naa and sustained guidance to maintain the peace in Dagbon.
He continued that the traditional offer of a Bull and a hundred tubers of yam serves as a tangible expression of the deep respect and honour that “I hold for you as friend and benefactor.”
He was also grateful for the appointment of key people from the area to various leadership positions within the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration with the appointment of the first Finance Minister from the North.
“May your legacy continue to inspire generations to come, and you will be cherished as a true statesman and champion of peace and security,” he added.
President Akufo-Addo, on his part, said, “The settlement that has seen you preside over the reconciliation of Dagbon and the restoration of the peace and stability of this great kingdom. And I want to congratulate you, on the success of your reign as Yaa-Naa of Dagbon.”
He added that “The Dagbon case is a great example to all the traditional institutions of our country, that when people work together, they can get positive results, and in you, we have an example of what a wise, sagacious forward-looking Chief can do for his people.”
“As I get ready to step down in three months times, it is right for me to go around and thank the people of Ghana for the confidence, the support that they have given to me and to come and say goodbye to you and the people of Dagbon.”
President Akufo-Addo also rallied the support of Dagbon for Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, saying, “he is not just a worthy son, but a competent, knowledgeable and above all an honest man whom I believe is the person that can continue the work that I have begun.”