As part of efforts to maintain peace and order in the country, Zongo Chief Of Berima Lafa Traditional Area, Sultan Adamu Mohammed in collaboration with the Weija Gbawe Municipal Assembly held a capacity building workshop on leadership, Peace and security for Zongo Chiefs in the Municipality. The purpose was to equip the leaders of the various Zongo communities to educate their subjects on the need to promote peace. The event also brought together security personnel, Chiefs from the various Zongos in Accra, Imams and opinion leaders.
The Zongo Chief Of Berima Lafa Traditional Area who doubles as the General Secretary of Weija Gbawe Municipal Assembly Zongo Chiefs stated that the workshop was aimed at targeting the Zongo youth within the Municipality; ensuring that the youth become ambassadors of peace. Peace and violence among the youth have been a major challenge within the Zongo communities; hence, the need to engage Chiefs from various Zongo communities on the issue of leadership, peace and security.
According to him, most of the Chiefs within the Zongos spend their time and money at police stations granting bails for troublesome youth adding that it’s high time the Chiefs educate the youth on how to comport themselves and live in peace and harmony with one another. He called on fellow Chiefs to be cautious of their subjects and query them whenever they are at fault. This he said will bring sanity to the Zongo communities. The security personnel advised the chiefs to educate the Zongo youth to find proper means of addressing challenges that will raise tension in their communities. Chiefs and Imams were however cautioned to be mindful of the recent reports of alleged terrorist invasion in the neighboring countries and eventually in Ghana which to them might not be true but urged the chiefs to be on the alert and report to the police any suspicious activity in their communities.
The police are ever ready to crash any terrorist that may dare to invade the country adding that the police intend to deploy men to mosques every Friday; however, there is the need for the Chiefs and the people of Zongo to be extra vigilant and alert law enforcement officers of any suspicious activity. The security personnel at the MMTD also called on the Chiefs and Imams to call their youth to order due to the prevalence of motorbike accidents among Zongo youth that is getting out of control. The Municipal Coordinating Director Mrs. Mercy Quansah Ogoe, urged Zongo Chiefs to caution their people and ensure that the youth abstain from all forms of illicit activities and report any crime to the appropriate agency. This she said will help to protect the community and the country at large and ensure that the country does not witness any terrorist attack.
The Zongo Chiefs assured the Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Patrick Kwesi Brako Kumor and Ghanaians that strangers mostly from Nigeria, Niger and other neighboring countries who come to the mosque seeking help and other favours are closely monitored. This according to the Chiefs will help solve issues regarding terrorism and other activities that have the tendency to jeopardize the peace Ghanaians are enjoying. The issue of unemployment among the youth poses a great threat to the country’s peace and security; they appealed to the government to consider creating jobs for the youth. The Chiefs appealed to the MCE to engage companies and factories within the Municipality to consider employing Zongo youth to help reduce unemployment within the Zongo communities. The Chiefs outlined measures they have already put in place to strengthen security and ensure a safe environment for their people. They further appealed to the MCE and the security personnel to help them fight against illicit drug peddling within some parts of the Zongo communities.
Upon hearing the pleads and demands of the Chiefs, the MCE suggested that a Municipal Chief Imam should be installed in Weija Gbawe Municipality and assured the Chiefs of the government’s commitment to developing the Municipality. He called on the Chiefs to advise the Zongo youth on sand winning in the Municipality adding that sand winning without a permit from the Assembly is illegal; anyone caught would be fined 200 or 500 penalty units or will be jailed. The MCE presented a certificate of participation to the Chiefs and a citation of honor for some hardworking Chiefs.
Source: WadataOnline.com/Muhammed Faisal Mustapha
