Zuarungu Celebrates 19th Ndaakoya Festical in Bolgatanga-UER

An apeal has been made to the sons and daughters of the Zuarungu traditional area, both home and abroad to bury their differences and accept the political diversity prevailing in the area.

The Chief of Zuarungu Naba Ceasar Abanga Afegrah who made the appealed explained that the current dynamic political system in the area is characterised with opportunities.

This include varied ideas from members of political parties,  talents and experiences needed to facilitate development in the area and Ghana.

The Chief was speaking at the 19th Anniversary celebrations of the Ndaakoya festival in the Zuarungu community of the Bolgatanga MunicipaAlity of the Upper East Region.

Ndaakoya literally  means a thanksgiving to the gods for a successful farming season. It is an annual festival celebrated by the chiefs and people of Zuarungu traditional area.

This year' s celebration was under the theme "Uniting People for Participatory Sustainable, Development.

This festival celebrations was aimed at mobilization and uniting the people in order to promote active participation for the transformation of the community.

Speaking to Radio Ghana, Naba Abanga   indicated that since the establishment of the festival 21 years ago, it has facilitated numerous development initiatives in the area.

This include  renovation works on the community clinic, initial seed capital that paved way for the construction of the University of Cape Coast distance satellite campus.

 He said, steps are being taken to streamline Ndaakoya administration to a workable document devoid of deficiencies.

He explained that the annual Ndaakoya celebration offers an opportunity as a people, to evaluate and reassess their needs.

 He was grateful to the government for elevating  Bolgatanga East constituency to a district with Zurungu as the capital and other projects given to the area.

 

He appealed that  ongoing projects should be fast tracked.Naba Abanga also appealed  for more projects for the infant distric.

 The Chairman for the occasions Bon-Naba Salifu Alemyarum said as much as festivals espouses and teaches the youth our traditional and cultural values, they should be used as a development tool to build  communities.

The  Upper East Regional Minister Hon. Rockson Ayine Bukari emphasized that the celebration of festivals reawakens our consciousnesses, traditional African beliefs such as respect for our elders and leaders which existed long before the advent of our colonial master

Hon. Bukari stressed that His Excellency Nana Addo's desire is to build one Nation with a common destiny and urge all Ghanaians to be part.

Prominent among the dignitaries to grace the occasion was the Over-Lord of the Mumpurug traditional Kingdom Nature Naa Bohugu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga.

Workshop on African Governance Architecture Organized By Action Aid Ghana UER

Youth participation in governance is deemed critical for Ghana's democracy. In this direction, a youth group called "Activista" has been launched at Bolgatanga,capital of the Upper East Region.

The launch was part of a workshop organized by Action Aid Ghana. It was under the theme "Good Governance". The African Governance Architecture is inspired by the constitutive Act of the African Union.

The Act empress's the AU's determination to promote and protect human rights consolidated in Democratic institutions.

It also ensures good governance and the rule of law. It is based on these and the aim of increasing awareness of AGA and its framework that Action Aid Ghana Global platform organized the 7 days training workshop.

The 38 participants were therefore taken through Action Aid's objectives,guiding principles, normative and institutional framework, the African Charter on democracy, elections, governance and youth activism.

Speaking on the theme for the workshop, the Municipal Youth Director, Mrs.Clare Maar, said good governance creates an enabling environment and equal opportunity for the youth.

This helps them to have easy access to the resources and services that are essential for their successful development and well being.

In an interview with, GBC online the Programme Manager of Action Aid Ghana, Alhassan Sulemana indicated that, looking at the current dispensation now, countries are trying to go multi-party democracy and it cannot thrive if the people don’t actually understand what it entails.

He said, the youth are a segment of society that would need to play an active role in whatever governance we find ourselves in. Action Aid Ghana’s strategy now at women and the youth.

These two groups form the core of development in any community or society within this country. It is therefore time to get the youth participate in our community, district and at the national level.

The training officer of Action Aid Global platform, Mr.Daniel Nii Ankrah, said there is the need for African citizens especially the youth to understand their role in the participation and enhancing of governance.

Mr. Ankrah explained that, due to patriarchal structures, ages and norms, these youth groups are often left behind in governance decision making spaces.

Hence the target to enable them understand their rights and engage meaningfully in the decision making spaces in promoting AGA which Ghana has signed into and ratified by the AU. Some participants who spoke to Ghana Today expressed their satisfaction about the content of the workshop.

A section, explained that the various topics taught them have given them enough exposure and knowledge on how to design their own action plans in their respective communities for advocacy.

Meanwhile the main aim of the youth "Activista" is to mobilise and educate young people to engage in advocacy and campaigns.

Using social media tools such as whats app. These campaigns expected to be embarked on by the youth are expected to ensure social justice.

Action Aid will also collaborate with the youth to implement their action plans on advocacy especially in the area of the African governance architecture.  

GBC                                                          END