Dagbon youth urged to close ranks, unite
Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko, a Prince of Dagbon, has cautioned the youth of the area against being used as pawns by politicians to foment trouble in the area.
While thanking Allah for the attainment of peace, as well as President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the Eminent Chiefs for working on the modalities towards the attainment of law and order that culminated in the enskinment of the new Yaa Naa, he cautioned the youth against possible vulnerabilities within their rank that could dent the hard won peace.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Alhaji Tanko pointed out to the youth of the area that for a long time, politicians had been allowed to tinker with the destiny of the people of Dagbon, especially the youth.
Political ‘dissidents’
As much as a lot of those politicians were from outside the area, he said there were a number of them within the Dagbon area whose political career had hinged on the non-attainment of peace between what had been, hitherto, referred to as the feuding Abudu and Andani gates.
With the attainment of peace, he urged the youth to discard all their differences because there was no longer an Abudu or Andani, but one people with a common destiny.
He called on the youth to be united because there will be no lasting peace if the youth failed to bury their differences and close their ranks.
In addition to that, he suggested the need to pay obeisance to the elders of the area, adding that “there will be no peace if we do not respect the elders; there will be no peace if we fail to listen to the elders.”
He urged the youth that nothing, whatsoever, should push them back to that era where they allowed a political party or political personalities to hide behind the scene and push them to undertake negative acts.
“This is very important. We should bear in mind that it is these so called political leaders who have caused harm than good to us for so many years,” he warned.
If the youth of the area had any excess energy, he advised, it ought to be used in jealously guarding the peace rather than wasting it on self-conceited politicians.
Time for unity
He said the time had come for all to come together as one people and re-build Dagbon because the people of the area had suffered so much and for long.
He, therefore, called on the youth, opinion leaders, Imams, church leaders, as well as traditional leaders to always rally behind the new Yaa Naa.
Alhaji Tanko also urged the new Yaa Naa to let go of past infractions against him and unite the whole area for accelerated development.
He, however, cautioned against sycophants who might present themselves to him as decent politicians with an agenda to penetrate the area for selfish political gains saying, “he should be careful of hypocrites and dangerous elements.”
Writer’s email: [email protected]