ISLAM, POLITICS AND DEVELOPMENT: NEGOTIATING THE FUTURE OF DAGBON

A LECTURE DELIVERED BY
MUSTAPHA ABDUL-HAMID
LECTURER
DEPARTMENT OF RELIGION AND HUMAN VALUES
UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST
CAPE COAST
DATE: 11TH APRIL, 2011.
VENUE: ALISA HOTEL, ACCRA.
TIME: 5:00pm

Part Two

Part Three

The charges against the Ya Na were that he was blind in one eye and it was against Dagbon custom to have a deformed person as Ya Na; that he had six toes on his foot; that he had not been properly installed; that he had not held one of the three skins from which a Ya Na could be elected and finally, that he was ruling despotically. Nonetheless Allasani had made noise enough to engender a certain demand for the destoolment of the Ya Na. Paradoxically at a conference of Dagomba chiefs, held in 1930, it was agreed that “the holder of a chieftainship cannot be deprived of his office except by death.”

In the end the government of the CPP set up a commission to look into the affair. The commission was under the chairmanship of S.D Opoku-Afari. The report of the commission was never made public. But this is what J.H Allasani himself is reported to have said about what took place in cabinet regarding the contents of the Opoku-Afari report.

The Minister responsible brought the report to cabinet. And after introducing it by saying that the Commissioner had found the Abdulai family guilty and given his verdict to the effect that the installed person should step down, he said, ‘But I suggest that the verdict be reversed. For if it is carried, our party will suffer a severe setback in the whole of the north.’ When he concluded, the Prime Minister, without allowing any other Minister to speak, said, ‘Yes I agree with the Minister. I declare the verdict reversed. And I take the responsibility for it upon myself.

The Ya Na was grateful for this and even though up until that point he was anti-CPP, he converted to the CPP, and urged his ally, Yakubu Tali to cross from the opposition to the CPP side in parliament, which the Tolon Na did. But this did not end the matter. The Andani family continued to protest to the government in order that the right thing be done. That prodding eventually led to a meeting in Accra between Nkrumah and Dagomba chiefs in order to find an amicable settlement.

That settlement or the attempt thereof is what gave birth to a legislative instrument, which has come to be known as L.I 59 of 1960. The highlights of L.I 59 were that, if the sitting Ya Na, Abdulai III died, Mion Lana Andani was to become Ya Na. But if Mion Lana Andani died before the Ya Na, then the next Mion Lana who should be an Andani was to become Ya Na. Also that, in the event that Mion Lana Andani died before becoming Ya Na, his sons, could still ascend to the Yendi skin. Finally, that since the Abudus had ascended the skin twice in succession, the Andanis were to also ascend the skin twice in succession. With L.I 59, the matter was settled, or so it seemed.

Then the coup of 24 February 1966 occurred. Once again, the issue was revived. Significantly, both the Abudus and the Andanis had friends in high places. The Abudus had B.A Yakubu, a member of the National Liberation Council (NLC), while the Andanis had Ibrahim Mahama who had just finished his law training and was appointed to various positions in the NLC government, including that of Commissioner for Information. With the overthrow of the CPP, the Abudus again petitioned for the repeal of L.I 59. On the 14th of September 1967, Ya Na Abdulai III died and his son Mahamadu Abdulai who was then 19 years old and attending the Tamale Secondary School became regent and immediately put forth his candidature. The Mion Lana, who was then an old man, also put forth his candidature.
In a series of strange decisions, L.I 59 was repealed, then restored, then repealed and restored again. Meanwhile both the Abudus and the Andanis were moving to install their respective candidates. The funeral of Ya Na Abdulai III was performed on 7 November 1968. The following day, both sides declared their candidates as duly elected. Mion Lana Andani was selected by soothsayers and supported by the Savelugu Chief and the Karaga Chief. Gbon Lana Mahamadu on the other hand was selected by the Electoral Committee. The District Security Committee suspended the installation ceremony to avert trouble. Finally, on 21 November 1968, Mion Lana Andani was installed as Ya Na Andani III with the support of the district and regional administrations, the army and the police.

The Abudus protested and the government set up yet another commission to look into the matter. This committee was called the Mate Kole Commission. While the committee’s work was in progress, the government thought it necessary to recognise Andani III as Ya Na. It was during the commission’s sitting that Ya Na Andani III died on 14 March 1969. His son, Yakubu Andani, became regent. Not long after, the NLC announced a plan to return to civilian rule. The Progress Party (PP) of Prof. K.A Busia won the election. Before the election results were announced, the NLC announced that it had accepted the Mate Kole Commission’s report. The Mate Kole Commission stated among other things, that “the alleged enskinment of Mion Lana was repugnant to Dagomba custom and that therefore Mahamadu Abdulai was properly selected and directs that the ceremony of installation as Ya Na should be performed on the Gbon Lana (Mahamadu Abdulai) as soon as possible.”

The protests which greeted the release of the Mate Kole Commission led to the shooting of the protesters by security forces. Twenty-three people died and several others injured. After the inauguration of the Busia government, the Mate Kole Commission, which had already been accepted by the previous regime, was implemented. Subsequently, Ya Na Mahamadu Abdulai was appointed to the Council of State, basically putting the seal to any opportunity of meaningful protestation against his kingship. But had it?

Then came 13th January 1972 and the government of Prof. Busia was overthrown. The Andani family again saw in this an opportunity to state their case once more. And they did. In response, the new government again set up a committee to take another look at the affair. This was called the Ollennu Committee. The Ollennu Committee declared that the installation of Mahamadu Abdulai was not in accord with Dagbon custom and was therefore null and void. It also asserted that the late Ya Na Andani III was properly elected Ya Na and directed that his funeral be performed as such. The government then invited Ya Na Mahamadu Abdulai to Accra, prevented him from returning to Yendi and ordered the removal of his wives from the palace to pave way for the performance of the funeral of the late Ya Na Andani III. This situation could not have been lost on the late Ya Na Yakubi Andani II.

After the performance of the funeral of the late Ya Na Andani III, his son and regent, Yakubu Andani, was installed the Ya Na. Later on Mahamadu Abdulai was allowed to return to Yendi, but was cautioned to be of ‘good behaviour’ and not to do anything to disturb the reign of Yakubu Andani II. Again after the overthrow of the Acheampong regime and subsequently, the election of President Hilla Limann as President, there was a lull in hostilities regarding the Yendi skin affair. This remained so until the coming into power of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC). The PNDC also enacted the Yendi Skin Affairs Amendment Law, 1985, PNDC Law 124.

This law declared that any of the parties who felt aggrieved by the ruling of the Ollennu Committee could seek redress in a court of law. The Abudu family then proceeded to the Appeal Court, seeking to set aside the decision of the Ollennu Committee. They got judgment in their favour, basically restoring the right of Mahamadu Abdulai as Ya Na. The Andani family appealed the decision of the Appeal Court at the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court, in 1986, overturned the decision of the Appeal Court, but added that henceforth, the rotational system be scrupulously observed. That henceforth, only sons of former Ya Nas shall ascend to the skins of Savelugu, Karaga and Mion; that since deskinment is unknown to Dagbon custom, all persons who have ever occupied the Yendi skin shall without regard to how they ceased to be Ya-Na, be regarded as former Ya Nas. Consequently, that their sons shall qualify for appointment to the gate skins of Karaga, Savelugu and Mion; finally, that to give effect to the rotational system, all three skins should not be occupied by one family.

Now, for the first time in Dagbon history, there was a living former Ya Na. Less than two years after the supreme court ruling, Mahamadu Abdulai died. The performance of his funeral or the lack thereof, is perhaps the lead remote cause of the events of March 25-27, sixteen years after the Supreme Court ruling.

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