Zango Hausa Youth Association of Ghana under the auspices of ‘Mai Martaba’ Ashanti Regional Zango Chief, Alhaji Umar Farouk Sa’eed Sultan on August 26, joined the rest of the World to commemorate the International Hausa Day at a colourful event at the Prempeh Assembly Hall in Kumasi. The day was in recognition of the Hausa Language and to bring together Hausa Communities around the World. It was under the theme: “Hausa Language, a Factor in the Attainment of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),”.
Prominent personalities including Islamic Scholars and Chiefs from various Hausa Communities around the country graced the occasion to contribute their quota in the historical migration of the Hausa people from Nigeria to various African countries including Ghana.
In his address, the Coordinator for Zango and Inner City Development at the Office of the President Hon. Ben Abdallah highlighted how important the Hausa language will be towards the attainment of the SDGs. adding that the 17 SDGs were adopted by all UN member states to provide a shared responsibility for the attainment of peace and prosperity for the human family and the planet by 2030.
He indicated that it was in fulfillment of the SDGs that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the Vice President, Dr. Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia set up the erstwhile Ministry for Inner-cities and Zango Development, now the Zango and Inner-city Development Secretariat under the Office of the President, and the Zango Development Fund to accelerate development in the Zango Communities.
Hausa he said is an international language spoken in about 32 out of the 54 countries in Africa and it is a taught course in a number of Universities across the world. According to him, Hausa is the 1st African language to be used by the BBC, VOA, DW, Radio France International, Radio China International among others. “Hausa is the most popular and widely-spoken language in Zango communities in Ghana and about 95% of people living in Zango understand and speak Hausa irrespective of their tribe” he noted. The Hausa language he said is used by chiefs in the Zango communities to settle disputes as well as promote peace and peaceful co-existence and instill moral values in the teeming youth.
On his part, Alhaji Mubarick Masawudu the founder of Mass Foundation stated that the Hausa Language is a critical partner in the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He revealed that the historical background given on the Hausa language and Zango people before independence, through the struggles of Ghana’s forebearers for self-rule, to present-day Ghana confirms the role Hausa and Zango people played in building the nation. In all towns and cities of Ghana, Zango communities he said are located in the centre and heart of human settlements and Zango people were at the forefront of the struggles of the past and therefore should not take a backbench on national developmental issues. He noted. 
“Zango was coined from the clause, Zan Go, meaning, I will go in the Hausa language. The earlier settlers of Zango communities didn’t have a mentality to make these places their permanent abode. They saw themselves as people in transit” he added. “Therefore, measures to situate themselves properly was absent. Are we still people in transit? If not, have we adequately defined our purpose and direction to take up our rightful place in the socio-economic development of Ghana?” he asked. According to him, the history of the Hausa people is indispensable and their contribution to nation-building in the past cannot be overemphasized. He said, for Hausa to assume their role as a force in national development and achieve prosperity for Zango communities, Hausas must define a direction for Zango communities through broad stakeholder consultation, a development plan tailored to the needs of the various Zango communities should be developed as part of the Zango Agenda, which should transcend partisan politics. Alhaji Mubarick Masawudu revealed that the major challenge confronting Zango people is identity: explaining that its dwellers are discriminated against during national exercises such as registration to vote, acquisition of passports, National Identification Cards among others.
“These are people born and raised in these communities, and many have their great grandparents present in Ghana even before independence” he noted. This matter according to him needs to be addressed once and for all, and Hausas need to be educated to stand their grounds anytime this injustice is meted out to them. The Ashanti Regional Zango Chief Alhaji Umar Farouk Sa’eed Sultan presented a Citation of Honor to Hon. Ben Abdallah.
Source: WadataOnline.com/Muhammed Faisal Mustapha
