Damabafest held in style

20/07/09

Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru

PEOPLE from most of the ethnic groups in the three regions of northern Ghana at the weekend exhibited a sense of unity when they held a durbar to celebrate the birth of Prophet Mohammed (Dambafest), in Accra.
Despite the seemingly intractable conflict between the Mamprusis and the Kusasis in the Upper East Region and the Abudu and Andani gates (both Dagombas) in the Northern Region, it was a delightful scene watching the people mingle together and displaying their rich cultures with traditional dancing, drumming and songs, to the admiration of observers, including European tourists.
The variety of cultural displays gave meaning to the theme of the durbar, which was: “Cultural Consciousness for National Development”. The cultural extravaganza was organised by the Council of Chiefs and Opinion Leaders of the North Living in Southern Ghana (COCOON).
The other ethnic groups present at the grand occasion are the Gonjas, Walas, Bandas, Dagartis, Bermobas, Sammeres, Chakosis, Nanumbas, Frafras, Gurushies, Sissalas, Kokombas and Basares.
Re-enforcing the sense of unity, Vice-President John Dramani Mahama urged the people in the three regions of northern Ghana to shun ethnic and chieftaincy disputes and harness their potentials to develop their respective regions.
“For me, Dambafest presents us with an opportunity to take stock of our challenges and opportunities as a people from a common geographical area, and also to plan for the future,” he said in a speech read on his behalf by a Minister of State at the Presidency, Alhaji Amadu Seidu.
Mr Mahama said festivals were meant to galvanise the cultural consciousness of a people for national development.
However, he said, sometimes the ideals behind the celebration of festivals in the northern part of the country tended to be overshadowed by ethnic rivalries and tensions with dire consequences “which we must endeavour to avoid”.
Mr Mahama said chieftaincy disputes, ethnic animosities and land litigation had destroyed life and property in northern Ghana and affected the general development of the area.
“The phenomenon of insecurity in most parts of the north drives away potential investors and diverts government attention from using scarce resources otherwise meant for education, health, agriculture and other infrastructural facilities, to peacekeeping operations,” he said.
He expressed worry at some people in the southern part of the country who purchased and transported sophisticated weapons to north, and those who fanned chieftaincy disputes and other conflicts as a source of livelihood.
As a result, he said, most people in the north had not been able to go to school, and, therefore, lacked skills to engage in the productive sectors of the economy.
Therefore, Mr Mahama said, the Dambafest should remind the people of the need to emulate the “sterling” leadership qualities of the life of Prophet Mohammed so as to be able to provide quality leadership based on truthfulness, self-sacrifice and perseverance.
Besides, he said, Prophet Mohammed demonstrated tolerance in deed and word throughout his life, hence the need for the people “to show tolerance towards each other, and learn to live in peace and harmony with one another”.
On government support for initiatives in the north, Mr Mahama said the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) would address the social and cultural dimensions of the development of the north.
He said SADA would focus on broader economic development and wealth creation especially for small holder farmers.
The acting President of COCOON, Alhaji Osman Checkson Issahaku, said the chiefs and opinion leaders of the north living in the south were determined to mobilise Ghanaians, particularly those in the savannah area, for the emerging opportunities in the north.
“We also admit as chiefs that the days when we sat in our palaces and waited for our subjects to come to us are no more their expectation, but, rather, we as traditional rulers and opinion leaders, indeed, must reach out to our community in a way that mobilises and galvanises them in the course of national development agenda,” he said.
Alhaji Issahaku lauded the government for introducing the SADA to address the development needs of the north, and expressed the commitment of COCOON in the implementation of the project.
He said the rich cultures of the people of the north displayed at the durbar were a reflection of the holistic potential of natural and human resource.
He, therefore, asked development partners and investors to go to the north “in pursuit of great emerging economic potentials in agriculture, mining and industry to be powered by availability of abundant energy in the direction of Ghana’s emerging economy”.