By Mahama Ibrahim Watara
The coming of events cast its dark shadows on the people of the Gonja kingdom for both royals, imams and the common man on the streets of Gonjaland if nothing is said or than in condemnation of the acts demonstrated by the NPP who openly disrespected the King , the customs and traditions of the Gonjas in the just ended 10th anniversary celebration of His Royal Majesty.
I said it on countless occasions that if care is not taken this boy ( Abu Jinapor) because of politics would plunge Gonjaland in to some sorry state judging from his conduct and posturing. Is no more secret that some people are planning to build a political empire in Gonjaland on the back of those who are ignorant of the plot but the wise ones would not allow money to influence their conscience in other to sell their birth right.
How can a whole Prince of his caliber who knows the customs and traditions of the Gonja kingdom allow this unthinkable act be carried out in no such a mean please but at the palace of the King of Gonja. Saturating our traditional institution with money is tantamount to subduing and subverting the will of justice and equity and when justice is violated unrighteousness reigns to the destruction of a kingdoms. For this reasons the imams of Gonjaland must start serious prayers to ask for God’s favour and healing of the land.
It is my expectation that the Gonjaland Traditional Council (GTC) would come out strongly to condem and sanction the conduct of the NPP in the region for flagrantly disregarding their directives as capture in the circular or program line-up menu banning the usage of all political party paraphernalia on the celebration grounds of the 10th anniversary.
We wait to see if there are still brave men in Gonjaland to stand up against the violations of traditional rules and regulations in this our enviable kingdom.
On no account should we allow party politics to feature in our chieftaincy institution neither should we allow politicians to profit politically using our chieftaincy institutions but today Abu Jinapor is saying that with money the chieftaincy institution and traditional authority in Gonjaland can be compromised and upon that our customs and traditions can be violated and trampled upon without any justifiable reason.
In the history of Gonjaland, this is the first time we have witnessed a durbar such as one organized by the King of Gonjaland blantantly been hijacked by a political party because they claim they are sponsoring it with their money and for that matter the have the right to do what the like if it means violating the commands of the King.
I weep for the land of our forefathers that the kingdom they have toiled for and established has now been turned in to a laughing stock to our opponents and colleague chiefdoms and that for the seek of money their children who are now custodians of the traditions and customs of the kingdom have sold their conscience to little children and small flies to toy with.
Where are the brave men or those who calls themselves sons and daughters of brave men? Would you all sit aloof and watched your kingdom,the toils and blood of your forefathers ran in to the gutters by some godforsaken opportunist who think that by virtue of doing the kingdom a favour in the creation of a new region means they have been given the right to do anything if it means whimsically disregarding the traditions and customs of the land..
I call on the true sons and daughters of the Gonjaland to stand up against the NPP and it’s regional executives including it’s parliamentary candidates weather Prince or no Prince for sowing the seeds of disrespect and clear violations of our traditions and customs for allowing politics to feature in our traditional practices as it happened on the 14th November 2020 in the big T.Z damba custom which is a respected age old practice which existed long before founders of the NPP and all its traditions where born.
I call on all the eminent divisional chiefs Wasipewura, (jira) Kpembiwura (jira), Bolewura (jira) Tuluwewura (jira) Kusawguwura (jira) to speak up and sanction the leadership and parliamentary candidate for Damongo Constituency Abu Jinapor to remove the hand of the monkey from the soup before it turns in to a human hand.
If the Gonjaland Traditional Council fails to bring sanctions on these people it would be treated as a bad precedent and a glut on the hard earned reputation of our traditional institution to by-standers.
Observers are keenly monitoring the actions of the traditional council when it comes to the principle of fairness, honesty, justice, equity and transparency which are the core principles that where used in the establishment of the Gonja kingdom. As the says usually goes ” a word to the wise is enough”
I rest my case.
16th November, 2020
