Posts in category: Uncategorized

By Amadu Kamil Sanah,

Yendi (N/R), Feb. 13, GNA – Ya-Na Abukari Mahama II has enskinned Mr. Mustapha Sanah, a development management specialist as the Chief of Dalun, under a traditional title Dalun-Lana Tapha Mahamadu II. 

Dalun-Lana Tapha Mahamadu II, known in private life as Mr. Mustapha Sanah, is the Executive Chairman of Northern Development and Democratic Institute, NDDI, a premier liberal democratic public policy think-tank based in Tamale, in the Northern Region.

     During the enskiment at the forecourt of the Gbewaa Palace, many people extolled Dalun-Lana Tapha Mahamadu II as a pragmatist and a progressive royal of Dagbon who prioritised peace, development and intra and inter ethnic harmony and co-existence as the surest way forward for the sustainable development of the Dagbon State and Northern Ghana.  

     The Dalun-Lana Tapha Mahamadu II served the Ya-Na Abukari II creditably and the Dagbon Traditional State in many roles. 

     He served in many committees including finance, protocol and publicity during the investiture of Ya-Na Abukari II in 2019.  

     He is a speech writer at the office of the Ya-Na and also co-ordinated the external relations affairs of the King of Dagbon.    

     Dalun-Lana Tapha Mahamadu II is a member of the royal family of Dagbon. He was born to His Royal Highness, Diare-Lana Amadu-Sanah, a grandson of Diare-lana Dahamani. 

      Diare-lana Dahamani, a respected chief of Diare and an astute Islamic scholar and astronomist was a grandson of Ya-Na Andani Jangbariga, from his famous daughter Princess Pagsan, Sister of Pakpan Shetu, mother of Yelzol-Lan Lagfu and Tijo-Naa Abdulai. 

     By royal lineage, the parents and grandparents of Dalun-Lana Tapha Mahamadu II are referred to as pagbihi, to wit, royals from the princesses. 

     Dalun Traditional Area is a farming area and a strategic geo-political zone located at the North-West of Tamale, along the White Volta, and near Kumbungu. 

     The new Dalun -Lana will be outdoored on Friday 16th February 2024 at the forecourt of the Dalun Palace at Dalun, in the Kumbungu District of the Northern Region. 

Source: Ghana News Agency

By Franklin ASARE-DONKOH

The Northern Development Forum (NDF) is calling on all persons of influence from Northern Ghana to work assiduously for peace in the region.

According to the group, any misguided attempts at achieving an elusive and ultimately destructive ethnic hegemony will only lead to conflict, destruction, and death.

The call was contained in a statement signed by the Chairman of Northern Development Forum, Major Albert Don Chebe (Rtd.).

“We should use our influence in the various traditional councils for peace, unity, and equitable development in the district and municipal assemblies to preach peace and advocate for dialogue in the event of boundary disagreements and land disputes,” the statement said.

Portions of the statement read: “News about ethnic clashes in the North Gonja District of the Savannah Region that have resulted in the destruction of lives, property, and livelihoods have been received with sadness and sorrow by the Northern Development Forum (NDF).

Against a background of debilitating poverty, atrocious living conditions, and deteriorating physical infrastructure, it is depressing to hear about another clash between groups who have shared a common heritage of neglect, lack of development, and poverty.

The NDF is distressed that, in spite of the reality of our common challenges, some persons are quick to resort to acts of destruction and despoliation to satisfy claims to ethnic hegemony.

It is an incontrovertible fact that these clashes and the resultant acts of destruction of livelihoods and the displacement of vulnerable rural communities contribute to the damaging narrative of an inhospitable environment coupled with belligerent citizens prone to destruction at the least provocation.

The NDF wishes to call on children of Northern Ghana to reflect on the immeasurable damage these flare-ups do to the image of the North and the ready ammunition given to our detractors. and ‘unfriendly interests, to use these unfortunate incidents to deny vast swathes of peaceful Northern Ghana physical infrastructure, social amenities, and economic opportunities.

Once again, the NDF is appealing to Northern Traditional Authorities, Ethnic Associations, and Development Organisations to intensify initiatives to minimise the minor linguistic differences among the peoples of Northern Ghana and rather highlight the major similarities that should serve to unify us as Ghanaians with a common destiny.

The North Gonja clashes must not be allowed to define the future relations between two hitherto friendly neighbours. The peoples of Northern Ghana have a common enemy called poverty, and we need to combine all our efforts and energies to fight this enemy”.

SOURCED: Gbcghanaonline

We paid a courtesy call on the new Ag. CEO of the Northern Development Authority (NDA), Mr. Sulley Sambian Esq. and his two new deputies, Mad. Janet Biibi Bashir and Mr. Zakaria Iddi on Tuesday, 28 March, 2023.

By Amadu Kamil Sanah

The Northern Development Forum (NDF) is calling on the Minister of Roads and Highways to move swiftly to address the destruction of the roads in the Upper West Region.

The forum said three continuous days of rainfall have swept away large sections of highways and roads in the region.

“The main highway in the region running north-south from Bole-Wa-Lawra-Nandom-Hamile-Burkina Faso has been destroyed in several places bringing transportation across the region to a standstill”.

A statement signed by Major (Rtd) Albert Don-Chebe, Chairman of the NDF and copied to the media said, the quantum of damage done to the already insufficient road infrastructure in the region is heart-breaking.

Mr Don-Chebe said the NDF expects the Ministry of Roads and Highways to move resources to the region as soon as possible to forestall the significant damage to the region’s socio-economic and commercial ecosystems.

According to the statement, reports also indicate that the destruction to roads, bridges and culverts are very severe in the Wa West and Wa East Districts, two of the most infrastructure-deficient districts in Ghana.

The Forum expects the Northern Ghana Parliamentary Caucus, the Upper West Regional Administration, Civil Society Organisations and other interest groups to focus attention on the unmitigated disaster that has engulfed the region to ensure speedy and timely actions to restore and reinforce the damaged road infrastructure across the region.

Since Saturday, August 14, 2021, social, economic and commercial activities in the region have come to a standstill.

Articulated vehicles transporting goods to Burkina Faso and Mali are stranded in the region.

Source – ModernGhana.org