President John Mills has downplayed assertions that the National Democratic Congress unduly politicised the death of the late Ya-Na Yakubu Andani for its own political and parochial interest. He stated that the pursuit of the perpetrators of that heinous crime is just as important as infrastructural development, freedom and independence of the judiciary, if not more. “In our manifesto we said we will build bridges, we will improve the conditions of service of the judiciary, we will recognize the freedom and independence of the judiciary, …now what is worse, or if we say that we are going to find the killers of Ya-Na don’t you think that this is more important than building bridges, than ensuring freedom of the judiciary or the freedom of speech? When you want to find the killers of somebody then you are accused of politicizing it. If by saying that you are going to find out the killers and bring them to book that is politicization I owe nobody any apology for saying so,” the president said. He was speaking to journalists shortly after a meeting with emissaries of the Andani family in the Osu Castle to ponder the way forward in curtailing violent incidents that greeted the acquittal and discharge of 15 suspects accused by the state of involvement in the murder of the late overlord and a number of his elders. President Mills said the country should be interested in finding the killers of Ya-Na, assuring, the 29th March, 2011 ruling by the Fast Track High Court was only a setback and that the state will not rest until the killers are found. His Head of Communications at the Presidency, Koku Anyidoho in an interview with Joy News said Dagbon will get justice because “the Ya-Na was murdered; he didn’t cut off his own head… somebody; some persons; some group must have done that and I give you my word we will find the killers of Ya-Na and we will bring them to book.” He will not say if the state will present any new evidence when they proceed to the appellate body - because he has no requisite competence he hinted - but has abosolute confidence in the Attorney General Martin Amidu who he said will mount a thorough prosecution on appeal. He stressed even though the government was keen on exploring other alternatives for peace, the search for the killers and the pursuit for justice is non-negotiable. “There can be no peace without justice. If we don’t find the killers of Ya-Na there will be no permanent peace. Whatever peace that exists now will be cosmetic. President Mills is not interested in ephemeral peace. There must be a lasting one hence his commitment to making sure that the perpetrators of the heinous crime are found and for justice to take its course. “...We are not going to sit down and allow people to murder our peace in broad day light and get away with it,” he said. But the Executive Director of the West Africa Network for Peace Building (WANEP), Emmanuel Bombande, has cautioned against a seeming fixation on legal prosecution. Even though he conceded that justice was crucial, he argued it was only a subset of a larger cause for durable and lasting peace in Dagbon. He said to pursue an option that will create a winner or loser scenario could polarize the crisis further than it is already, adding, beyond pursuing the criminal aspect of the crisis, government must show equal commitment to exploring the traditional and socio-political underpinnings of the Dagbon crisis to ensure lasting peace. Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana