The people in the Dagbon traditional have proved skeptics wrong at the 2014 Damba festival held at the Gbewaa palace in Yendi. People from all works of life including ministers of state, members of parliament, metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives and the business community joined the overlord of Dagbon, the Kampakuya Naa Abduali Yakubu Andani at the seat of Dagbon kingdom (Yendi) to celebrate the festival.
The beautiful culture was brought to bear by both factions of the Dagbon chieftaincy divide who exhibited their dancing skills to the admiration of all dignitaries including expatriates. At about 4:pm local time on Sunday, the Kampakuya Naa and other respected chiefs in the Dagbon traditional area were on their seats amid firing of musketry and show of smocks.
Prominent chiefs of the Abudu gate led by the Banvim Lana and several respected traditional rulers were in their best regalia with spectacular dancing performance by horse riders.
For about a decade now, the Dagbon traditional area has never witness the celebration of Damba festival at the seat of the overlord of Dagbon tradional area ( Gbewaa palace) in Yendi. For many, the 20414 Damba festival was historic and can put to rest all the differences that exist among Dagombas for over a decade.
In his message to the people of Dagbon, the Kampakuya Naa Abudalia Yakubu Andani called for all Dagombas both home and abroad to support the Dagon quest for absolute peace in the area.
BELOW IS THE FULL ADDRESS BY HIS MAJESTY KAMPAKUYA-NA ABDULAI YAKUBU ANDANI REGENT OF DAGBON AND ACTING PRESIDENT DAGBON TRADITIONAL COUNCIL AT THE FOUR COURT OF THE GBEWAA PALACE IN YENDI ON THE OCCASION OF 2014 DAMBA FESTIVAL
There are moments of trail and challenges in the life of every nation, its people and even of individuals. These are times when their souls are tested and questions are asked of their maturity, character and sense of history. Very often, such moments defined the future destiny of the entities and determine whether they take the path of greatness or settle for insignificance.
Dagbon faced such moments nearly twelve years when a wave of darkness swept across the kingdom, with tragic consequence, that claim we do not bear a scar from that sad loss. Heroes are not made by acts of violence, divisive campaigns and disruption of public order. True men of courage build nations by bringing goodness, security and prosperity to others and themselves.
There are realities that faced each of us today. Whatever our individual names, livelihood or abode, we face task of caring for ourselves and those close to us. More important, we have a common duty to make our tomorrow better than our today if we are to leave a better future for our children than we inherited.
Whatever the look on each other’s face, whatever the differences in where we sit or stand, we cannot deny that we have a shared reality as sons and daughters of this land to leave a legacy that is better than what we have now.
All over the world today, sons and daughters of Dagbon are making strides and making their mark. These proud ambassadors must be honoured and celebrated as beacons of our great past, present and future.
We have to build at home, on the foundations our fathers left us we must grow a strong successful nation and leaved a proud and enduring story for our children. That is why the theme this year’s Damba is ‘Honouring our Culture and Traditions, Advancing our Future’. We must win the enduring respect, goodwill and solidarity of the rest our nation and the world. In this regard, we must not ever again engage ourselves the theater of darkness, conflict, senseless violence, ignorance and stagnation.
Never again shall the world associate Dagbon with division, intolerance, violence ad of lack progress. We face a major common enemy in poverty, environmental change and unfavorable market forces. We must hurry to catch up with the leading nations in the knowledge race. We are talented in brains, industry and human capacity; and given the chance, our best can match the world’s best in any area of human endeavor and elsewhere.
There is no reason when all nations are standing to be counted n the march to peace, process and prosperity Dagbon should not be among the front runners. We can be and we must be. It only requires our individual and collective resolve and unwavering commitment to keeping alive a superior vision of who we are, who we want to be and who can be; no matter the odds challenges w e face.
We must collectively resole to confront and overcome the decline of loyalty, morality and social discipline which is why the rains of abundance, wealth and nature blessings no more fall the way it used to. In our hearts, each one of us is a caring and God fearing person who can be trusted day or night to confront evil and triumph.
The courage, honesty and character of the Dagbon has been exceptional over the ages. That has not changed. Yes, we may have passed nature for great people to face great tests of character and cohesion. We have together been bruised but we have not bowed to cowardice and hate. We have overcome the darkness. Each one of us sitting and standing here today is anyone who talks of violence or insecurity in Dagbon is living in the abandoned past.
In a world of change and diverse challenges, there are eternal truths about us that never change. That Dagbon is a great nation is an established truth in time. Our greatness as a people is anchored on the courage and demonstrated heroism of Dagbon sons and daughters in crucial moments of our history. Every true Dagbana knows with each heartbeat what is good and honourbale.
I call on all Dagbamba, as I have often done, to not see themselves as Abudus or Andanis but as a united Dagbamba especially in these trying times for prosperity, development and peace.
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