The head of the Yoruba Community in Kumasi, Alhaji Ahmed Rufai Aliu Alao III, has called on tribal heads in Zongo communities to pursue the cause of peace and unity in order to attract development and progress to their communities.
He said unless leaders of Zongo abandoned their self-seeking interests and tackled the problems facing their communities in truth and honesty their people would continue to wallow in poverty, illiteracy, squalor and disease.
Alhaji Aloa made these points at a ceremony to mark the re-inauguration of the Yoruba Youth Association in Kumasi, which attracted almost all the tribal heads in Kumasi and beyond.
Among them were the Sarikin Shanu, Alhaji Issah Farin Goro, who represented the Sarkin Zongo, Alhaji Umar Farouk, Moshie Chief, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdul Raheem Adam, Mamprusi Chief, Alhaji Abdulai, Kado Chief, Alhaji Abdul Raheem Ahmed and the chiefs of Yati Yati Zongo, Fulani Yati Yati, Baribari, the Wangara Warrior chief of Kumasi, and the Yoruba Chief of Dunkwa, Alhaji Adebayo Tijani.
The Yoruba leader called on his colleagues in the Kumasi Zongo community to close their ranks and not to encourage division by supporting rival chiefs who had no locus standi.
He said just as there was only one Allah or God so there should be only one tribal head and not two.
In his remarks, the Sarikin Shanu, who represented the Sarikin Zongo, commended the Yoruba youth for bringing all the Zongo leaders together and urged them not to relent in their efforts to promote peace in Zongo.
Earlier in his welcome address, the chairman of the Yoruba youth, Mr Abdullahi Sanni-Thomas, thanked the elders of the Zongo community for their support which had seen the rebirth of the Yoruba Youth Association.
Later awards were presented to Alhaji Alao as the Grand Patron, Alhaji Abdul Azeez Adebisi (Secretary), Alhaji Razak El-Alawa, Alhaji Abdul Moomen El-Alawa, Alhaji Karim Transporter, Alhaji Diyawu and three patrons of the association for their immense contributions towards the development of the Yoruba community in Kumasiin general and the Yoruba Youth in particular.
