Dagbon Development: Dagombas in Germany hold a Diaspora meeting with their counterparts in the UK, Europe, and America.
On Sunday, the Dagombas in Germany held a meeting to deliberate on how they are to contribute towards the development of Dagbon. The meeting, organized by the Dagbon Tehisunma Association in Germany, was attended by chiefs, Dagombas in Italy, the UK, America, Amsterdam, Canada, students studying abroad, and academics, among others. The virtual meeting, dubbed “Northern Diaspora Connect,” was on the theme “Accelerating Development in Dagbon: The Role of the Diaspora.” The meeting deliberated on issues confronting Dagbon and how they can contribute to breaching the development gap between the south and the north.
Participants prayed for sustained peace in Dagbon and collective support to move the Dagbon Kingdom forward, they also sought clarifications on the progress of the reconstruction of the new Gbewaa palace and the Dagbon Development Fund, which was launched and sod cut in March 2023. Speaking at the meeting, the Dagbamba Chief in the United States, Alhaji Muhammad Ibn Umar, thanked the Dagbon Tehisuma Association in Germany for the initiative and their passion for Dagbaon development and called for unity among Dagombas in Europe, America, and the United Kingdom. He also encouraged Dagombas in the Diaspora to be patient and respect each other’s views on very important issues that bother the Dagbon, such as peace, unity, and development. Alhaji Ibn Umar reminded them of the unemployment rate among the youth and urged them to endeavor to establish skills training centers for the unemployed youth. He suggested to the Diaspora that it find a suitable time period for a face-to-face meeting in Europe, the UK, or America to discuss Dagbon development. Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Ibrahim Mohammed Murtala, who was the guest speaker, emphasized the need for Dagbon culture to be made known to the outside world. He told the Diaspora community that the Dagbon kingdom, apart from the Mamprugu kingdom, is the oldest in Ghana, but other kingdoms manage to portray theirs as though they are the oldest and only in Ghana. He assured them that there is now unity among northern politicians, leading to a growing consensus toward a holistic approach to developing the north. He admitted that in the past, chieftaincy differences brought about sharp divisions, but that is now a thing of the past, and they as politicians are representing the vast majority of people in Dagbon in parliament. He told them that the dwindling performance of education was a worry after he was briefed by the metropolitan education directorate, and he, as an MP, instituted a program to support basic school pupils and also medical doctors. Dagban Naa of Germany encouraged the Diaspora to endeavor to contribute their quota towards the new Gbewaa palace.