……….. 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).
He also advised Dagbamba (citizens of Dagbon anglicized as Dagombas) in the diaspora to endure to nurture the children they give birth to in their foreign countries of residence so they lose track of their linguistic and ethnic identity to foreign ones one day.
Ndan Yaa Na 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.
“Endeavour to speak more with them in their mother tongue, Dagbani, rather than speaking more to them in the foreign language of the country of residence” adding, “It wouldn’t speak well of a Dagbana whose children cannot communicate in their mother tongue because they weren’t born in Dagbon” intimated ndan Yaa Na.
Held 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 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 various Dagbon dignitaries, attendees from across Dagbon’s traditional governance authority landscape, some members from its academia, Civil Society Organizations (CBOs), Youth and Women’s groups including some Dagbamba foreign residents among others.
