Minister denies announcing Ya-Na’s burial

Alhaji Limuna Mohammed-Muniru, Northern Regional Minister has denied allegations that he has announced the funeral rites of the late Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II, and urged the family of the late King to disregard any such publication.

He said a press release issued to the media by the family of the late King claiming that he the Regional Minister had announced the funeral rites of Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II, must be treated with contempt.

Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru, who clarified his stance on the issue in Tamale on Wednesday at a press briefing stressed that, “I stated at an event during the Eid -ul- Fitr festivities that it is the wish of Government that by November this year, we should have been done with the funeral of the late Ya-Na”.

However, a press statement issued in Tamale by the Family of the late Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani signed by its representative, Abdulai Yakubu Andani, expressed outrage at an alleged statement by the Regional Minister purporting to announce the performance of funeral for their late father in November this year.

The statement said such announcement by the Regional Minister amounted to usurping the role of Kuga Naa, “The most senior member of the elders of Dagbon and Head of the Judicial Council of Dagbon, who is the only person who has the traditional authority and customary responsibility of making such announcements”.

It added that, “By his recent statement, the Regional Minister seemed to have finally pulled off the mask from the face of the National Democratic Congress revealing it as a dishonest broker in the Dagbon crisis”.

It called on the Regional Minister to apologize to Yog’ Kpamba, for exhibiting such reckless disregard for Dagbon Tradition and Custom.

However, the Regional Minister said he had no knowledge of the said statement or publication attributed to him and advised the media to always cross-check facts before publication.

“I respect traditions and culture of the people of Dagbon and as a result I cannot just announce the burial of the Ya-Na because I am not part of the family”, he explained, adding he had cordial relations with the children of Ya-Na and urged them to disregard such publications.

Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru stated that the issues relating to the settlement of the Dagbon chieftaincy had been assigned to the Eminent Kings to handle and that Government was still awaiting their recommendations to help in implementation.

Source: GNA