At this most crucial moment in Ghana’s development history, it is disheartening to hear of incidents like the recent Zogbie one that has led to the loss of precious lives.
The various ethnic groups in the Northern region should consider the fact that, they are never real enemies against each other but rather, poverty, squalor and under development is their real common enemy they need to confront together in their own interest.
We of the Economic and Environmental News Africa magazine, therefore wish to implore the youth in the northern region in particular to rather give priority to using their youthful exuberance in promoting and building peaceful co-existence and harmony between the various ethnic groups for their collective well-being.
We implore Dagomba and Konkomba youth to rather strive towards being agents of change and sustainable development not agents of needless acrimony,hatred and war.
Dagomba and Konkombas are age-long historical neighbours and relations were based on mutual respect,paceful co-existence which also resulted into intermarriages.The mother of the late Ya Naa Yakubu i(1799–1839) whose two sons,Na Abudu and Na Andani founded the current Abudu and Andani royal gates,elders say was a konkomba. Thus,the age-long accolade of honour, bestowed on Konkombas in Dagbon traditional governance circles as ,”Na Mayili Nima” transalated,the King’s mother’s people.
Not only Dagombas alone resist German Colonial rule that reached its crescendo at the famous battle of Adiboo,but some Konkombas communities too were repotted to have did same in their perhaps taking a cue from their historical neigbours,the Dagombas.
The Eco-Enviro News Africa magazine focused on the progress and sustainable development of Africa and humanity at large,wish to implore Dagomba and Konkomba youth to rather focus on Issues of the region’s development challenges including climate change impact on agriculture, biodiversity loss. the idea of Dagombas are enemies to Konkombas is an aberration and has no anthropological basis.
Dagombas and Konkombas ought to Leverage each others core competencies of each other draw upon their collective strength so as to enable them make more meaningful contribution towards various central government’s efforts aimed at uplifting their socio-economic lives that would also narrow down and eventually close the age-long colonial legacy,the North-South development gap.
The North’s Share of FDI
Due to the relatively higher infrastructure the southern part of the country enjoys over the North, a greater chunk of Foreign Direct Investment(FDI) remain in the south while a negligible amount goes up North. Series of Periodic ethnic conflicts like the recent one under discussion,cumulatively given the Northern sector a bad name in both local and international investor circles.
The North’s Unique Selling Points
The five Northern regions of the country put together are blessed with an enormous primary agriculture and agribusiness,tourism,mineral deposits potential potential that could be harnessed not only for improving the socio-economic lives of their people, but to the benefit of the country’s gross national economy.
A national agriculture policy framework that could target the five northern regions leveraging both rain-fed and irrigation fed farming in the regions, could effectively help in addressing Ghana’s disturbing annual multi-billion rice and general agricultural products import bill.
No wonder the African Development Bank’s President Adesina during an official visit to Ghana in 2017, had cause to candidly state that, with the northern sector’s arable land potential of 7 million hectares suitable for rice cultivation, Ghana has no business importing rice.
Down the Memory Lane
In the early to mid-seventies, these regions collectively were said to have been contributing to over seventy percent of Ghana’s agriculture GDP. Thus, it was bestowed the accolade, the ‘Granary of the nation”.
Indeed, they together, constituted the heartbeat of the late General Acheampong-led Supreme Military Council’s Green Revolution that was at the time known as, “Operation Feed Your Self’(OFY) with the catch phrase,” O biara ndo” in local Twi, translated as, “All must farm”
Agricultural production and productivity was at its zenith under the programme to the extent that, Ghana attained food self-sufficiency and exported her surplus rice and maize to other African countries.
Dagombas and Konkombas must learn to at all times adopt dialogue in the resolution of their differences human that they are, and not through physical confrontation.
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