By Nicholas Osei-Wusu
The Coordinator of the Zongos Development Fund Secretariat at the Office of the President, Alhaji Ben Abdulla Banda, has urged the various tribal groupings in the country to substantially influence political power and decisions towards progress in their respective areas and people.
These ethnic groups must also be united, and cooperative, and chart a path that leads to peace, knowledge, and prosperity among themselves and the larger society.
Alhaji Banda gave the advice in Kumasi at a grand durbar to climax the 40th anniversary of the Enskinment of Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Gado Watara as the chief of the Wangara tribe in the Ashanti region.
Members of the Wangara ethnic group trace their roots to the Malian empire under the reign of the famous and powerful leader, Mansa Musah.
They are found in most parts of the West Africa subregion, including Ghana.
They boast of a significant number of their tribesmen and women brought together under a single leadership to champion their common good.
Since 1983, the Wangara people in the Ashanti region have been led by Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Gado Watara with whom they say they have not lived united and progressively during the 40-year period.
That is why a week-long commemoration of his enskinment, especially the grand durbar in Kumasi, was heavily patronized by not only members of the Wangara tribe in the Ashanti region, but other tribal groups and leaders from beyond as well as politicians.
Among the dignitaries were the Kpemba Wura from the Savanna region, Jira Babanye Ndefuso, the paramount chief of Oboo Kwahu in the Eastern region, Nana Okra Baah Adu, a delegation of the NDC led by the former Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Alhaji Collins Dauda and the former Minority Chief Whip in Parliament, Alhaji Mohammed Mohammed Muntaka; while that of the NPP was led by the Coordinator for the Zongos Development Fund Secretariat at the office of the President, Alhaji Ben Abdulla Banda.
The event was characterized by pump and pageantry interspersed with spiritual displays.
The Chief of the Wangara Community in the Ashanti region, Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Gado Watara, said he has used his 40-year leadership to champion peace, unity and tolerance not only among members of his tribe, but among members of the Zongo community within and beyond the Ashanti region.
Alhaji Watara used the occasion to caution the police, in particular, against increasing cases of brutality against members of the Zongo communities.
“Until the leadership of the various tribal groups form a strong united front to galvanize some socio-economic initiatives, Zongo communities in Kumasi will continue to face development challenges”, he said.
“Let me also use this opportunity to appeal to political actors to ensure that police brutalities in zongo communities become a thing of the past”, Alhaji Watara warned.
The Coordinator of the Zongo Development Fund at the Office of the President, Alhaji Ben Abdulla Banda, asked members of the various tribal groups in the country to pursue peace through unity and knowledge acquisition for their progress.
He said, “as a Wangara people, we need to be united, and cooperative and chart a path that leads to peace, knowledge, and prosperity. We also need to relate to other people both in and Ghana so as to accelerate our status. Seeking for knowledge and empowerment is more paramount and imperative, if we are to influence power, create, and gain more privileges, opportunities, and wealth.”
The former Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Alhaji Collins Dauda, who is also the MP for Asutifi South in the Ahafo region, took advantage of the durbar to encourage unity among the various tribal groups to enable them to seek and promote their collective welfare.
Individuals and groups presented plaques of citations to the Regional Chief of the Wangara Community in recognition and appreciation of his exemplary leadership.