The Director of Communications at the Presidency, Koku Anyidoho, who confirmed this to Citi News, said President Mills only returned to Accra from the Upper West Region because that was the original schedule. President Mills was touring the Upper West Region on Tuesday March 29, when the Accra Fast Track High Court acquitted and discharged some 14 persons who were standing trial for the murder of the Late Dagbon Overlord, Ya-Naa Yakubu Andani.
Following the ruling some angry youth of the Andani Gate, who claim to be members of the NDC, burnt down the party’s regional and constituency offices in Tamale and destroyed other belongings. The skirmishes led to the killing of a middle-aged man by soldiers who were deployed there to maintain law and order.
The Andani youth, who have accused the NDC government of reneging on its promise to nail the killers of the Ya-Naa, warned the President not to extend his visit to the Northern Region for his own safety. But Mr. Koku Anyidoho has told Citi News the threat cannot be taken seriously particularly when it is coming from a few nameless people and not the whole Dagbon State.
According to him, the President is equally concerned about the outcome of the ruling since he was keen on seeking justice for the Andani family. He said the trip to the Northern Region remains on the bill.
“The truth of the matter is that the President when he was leaving Accra per the schedule was supposed to do Upper East and Upper West, and come back to Accra to do Northern Region, come back to Accra again to do Brong Ahafo Region and Ashanti Region, and then break on the 21st for the Easter holidays and begin phase Two after the Easter. That threat is just one voice and not the whole of Tamale or Dagbon. I am sure if you even ask of the person’s name, you won’t know it off the top of your heard. We don’t think that is going to be enough of a reason why the President will not step in Tamale next week if indeed he ought to. With no disrespect to that one voice, we think that it’s a rather shrill one” he noted.
Although Mr. Anyidoho admitted that the ruling was hard to bear, he thinks the reactions were too harsh. According to him, the President was deeply troubled about the fallout.
“We were between Tumu and Fumsi when the message came through. But what could we say. That is the verdict of the Court no matter how hard it hits you. In relation to the violence, it came as a bit of hurting news to the President when he heard that NDC offices were being vandalized and all that. Because all said and done, President Mills has shown a lot of commitment to get to the bottom of this matter and President Mills does not issue rulings in our Court. So if anger is directed at him as if he was in the bosom of the Judge and issuing the verdict, it’s rather hard and hurting” he noted.
Mr. Anyidoho is however optimistic that the simmering tension up north will stabilize anytime soon.
“I have spoken to the Regional Minister and the information we are getting is that tensions are settling down. We are all human beings so sometimes when news hit us hard; the initial reaction may not be the best but when we sleep over it, we learn to apply cool-heads. So we believe that they will calm down and allow due process to take its path”.
Go here to see the original: