……….. As Dagbon Convention/Grand Durbar ends in Yendi
Report: Mohammed A. Abu
The King of Dagbon, His Royal Majesty, ndan Yaa Na Mahama Abukari II, has called on all sons and daughters’ resident in the kingdom and other parts of the country including those in the diaspora, to attach utmost importance to Dagbon’s internal peace building efforts and unity, as well as,the power of togetherness and harnessing of collective action for Dagbon’s socio-economic transformation and development.
Ndan Yaa Na noted that, the people of Dagbon today, irrespective of where they are resident, have a shared responsibility to shape Dagbon’s development discourse and thereby,adopt collective pragmatic action towards building a Dagbon that they will all be proud to leave as their shared legacy for the yet unborn future generations.
These were contained in a message delivered on his behalf by Na Yeb Nanton Naa Bawah (Chief of the Naton Paramountcy, Dagbon) during the Convention and Durbar of Chiefs held in Yendi, over the week end to wrap up the week-long Dagbon Convention and Maiden Home Coming event of all sons and daughters both resident home and abroad.
The King greatly appreciated and heartily acknowledged the representation at the event, the Gonjaland Youth Association (GYA), Nanun Youth Association (NAYA) and Konkomba Youth Association (KOYA) and all others who came from far and near to grace the occasion.
Noting that the day marked an important milestone in Dagbon’s quest for peace and unity which is most crucial for the development of the kingdom, he disclosed that education, agriculture and cultural reformation are being given prime attention in shaping the Kingdom’s development discourse.
Education
The important role of education in Dagbon’s development he said cannot be over emphasized. Therefore addressing the thorny issue of Girl Child education as well as the rural education infrastructure and facility gap was also of grievous concern. He therefore commended the executives of the University of Development Studies(UDS) for the planned opening of the Yendi campus of the University.
Agriculture
On the important role agriculture plays in the kingdom’s development Ndan Yaa Na observed that 95 percent of Dagbon’s population were engaged in farming with other forms of employment accounting for the remaining paltry difference. Ndan Yaa Na further noted that agriculture doesn’t only provides employment opportunities for the unemployed in Dagbon, but also, sustained wealth creation through it, could improve upon the personal socio-economic lives of farmers and for that matter, their ability to contribute their quota to Dagbon,Ghana’s development more meaningfully.
Cultural Heritage Rebranding
Dagbon’s rich and diversified cultural heritage endowment ndan Yaa Naa noted, calls for its re-thinking and re-imaging as a one of the important change agents within Kingdom’s development agenda. There is the need for a paradigm shift from annual observation of festivals simply as a matter of tradition to repositioning them as tourism income attraction tools for the benefit of Dagbon’s local economy and Ghana as a whole ndan Yaa Na intimated
Advice to Dagbamba in Dagbon,Ghana
For Dagbon,Ghana resident Dagbamba with particular reference to those engaged in small scale enterprises or as artisans,he exhorted them to appreciate and value what they do for a living and avoid comparing themselves to others so as not to fall into the temptation of looking down upon themselves. No matter the size of one’s enterprise one should be self confident, be focus and seek constant capacity building to become an expert in one’s fields of endeavors. This approach he said has made many who started business from the lowest periphery to ascend to greater heights they had hitherto couldn’t have imagined.
Dagbamba in the Diaspora
To Dagbamba (citizens of Dagbon anglicized as Dagombas) in the diaspora ndan Yaa Naa advised them to ensure they nurture the children they give birth to in their foreign countries of residence so they never lose track of their linguistic,ethnic origin and identity to foreign ones one day.
He exhorted them to deem it as an important parental duty and responsibility to imbibe in their children, the ability to speak their own language and to grow up immersed in Dagbon’s cultural norms and moral value principles as part of their upbringing. Also important, he added, is the need for parents to constantly engage in tuning their minds back home as it relates to the nation’s forward march and her development efforts since the youth are the future leaders of every nation.
Ndan Yaa Na emphasized the importance of the need for Dagbamba expatriate couples to make speaking to their children more in their mother tongue, Dagbani non-negotiable. “It would be a big embarrassment to a Dagbana whose children should turn out to be unable to communicate in their mother tongue” intimated ndan Yaa Na.
Held in collaboration with the Ghana Tourism Authority and Centre for National Culture under the theme,” One Dagbon, One Vision: Advancing Dagbon’s Development together’ and sub-theme,” Reignite, Re-Enforce, Rebuild” the week-long event came with a number of side attractions in Tamale, Western Dagbon and Yendi,Eastern Dagbon.
It included Dagbon students versus students debate in Tamale,Dagbon students versus Dagbon State debate in Yendi, official launch of the event in Tamale, health walks as public awareness creation measures in both Tamale and Yendi, inter Clan tournaments to strengthen internal unity and cohesion, health screening and the climax of all which was to be the Convention/Grand durbar of Chiefs alongside cultural performances of the Kingdom’s lesser known dances in Yendi.
The event attracted the presence of the Northern Regional Minister,Mr.Adolf Ali Mburdiba,Members of Parliament,DCEs, and other dignateries including paramount chiefs and sub-divisional chiefs across Dagbon’s traditional governance authority landscape, members from its academia, Civil Society Organizations (CBOs), Youth and Women’s groups including some Dagbamba foreign residents among others.
Media Partners to the event included,Sagani TV,Zaa FM,Andani Royal TV,GTV among others.