President Akufo-Addo has appealed to all sons and daughters of Dagbon to unite behind the new Yaa-Na, Mahama Abukari II, describing him as a man of experience and dignity who will discharge the duties of his new office with distinction.

“I know for certain that with a peaceful and a successful celebration of this year’s Fire Festival, Dagbon has been restored to its past glory”.

The celebration of the Damba festival attracted a varied range of personalities from all walks of life, including the President of the Republic, Prime Minister of Barbados, government officials, parliamentarians as well as foreign visitors. It was characterised by pomp and pageantry, showing its importance and beauty to everyone.

Yesterday, the people of Dagbon put behind them a bloody and protracted chieftaincy dispute with the ‘outdooring’ of a new Yaa Naa, Abukari Mahama II.

The richness of culture, when allowed to be portrayed in an atmosphere of peace, is glamorously unveiled to show that peace is a virtue that cannot be toyed with since without it nothing good or beautiful can be promoted in society.

History was made yesterday when after a 17-year protracted chieftaincy dispute, the people of Dagbon were able to finally ‘outdoor’ Yaa Naa Abukari Mahama II as the overlord of the traditional area.

The Overlord of Dagbon, Yaa-Na Mahama Abukari II, has conferred the title ‘Dagbon Malti-Naa Abudani I’ on the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Written By Abdul-Moomin Shahabdeen - Its been seventeen plantings and seventeen harvests since the last rays of daylight kissed our thick black skins! Seventeen straight years of wandering in the darkest of nights with the distant stars teasing lights from a distance we could never reach.

When the Namo Naa, Lord of the Drummer-Poets, senses in his spirit the rise of a new Yaa Naa, a new verse rises in his ears and he can feel the hairs bristle on the ancient skins of Sitobu.