President Akufo-Addo was at Damongo to attend the one-year anniversary of the Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Soale I. The President arrived late for the programme and while he was going around exchanging pleasantries, his team demanded King of the Gonja Kingdom Yagbonwura stand up and walk to the President to greet him.
MP for the area Abu Jinapor made the request and was ignored by Yagbonwura. Then Alhaji Iddrisu Sulemana (Professor Emeritus Kalamonia), the NPP Regional Chairman for Savannah Region approached the king and made the same request. He was also ignored by the King, thus forcing the President to walk up to the King to greet him.
Per the programme schedule, President Akufo-Addo was to be the last to deliver his speech, but the President interrupted the programme and made his 5-minute speech soon after the President of the Gonja Youth Association. That means, the President took the position of the Yagbonwura as the King was scheduled to be the second to address the gathering.
From an eyewitness account, there was no notice to the King about the President’s intention to leave thus the need to deliver his speech early. The MP for the area, Abu Jinapor took the microphone from the MC and announced that the President was ready to deliver his speech and leave.
Here is a full account by Issifu Seidu Kudus Gbeadese, the Youth Imam for Laribanga
WHAT HAPPENED IN DAMONGO DURING THE DURBAR OF CHIEFS AT THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF YAGBONWURA BII-KUNUTO SOALE 1.
1. The President of the Republic, Nana Akuffo-Addo was invited to the one year Anniversary of the Yagbonwura held in Damongo. This program coincided with the Annual Congress of the Gonjaland Youth Association and the Guan Congress.
2. The program was planned to proceed along the protocols as the King and his council so preferred to all participants. And as it were, the President of the Gonjaland Youth was to speak first, followed by the speech from the King, then Former President Mahama and then President Akuffo-Addo was billed to be the last speaker.
3. When the President arrived, though late, he was ushered in and was taken round to exchange pleasantries with the chiefs.
4. In an attempt to undermine the authority of the Yagbonwura and the collective pride of the people of the Gonja Kingdom, the Member of Parliament for Damongo Constituency, Hon Abu Jinapor, reached out to the Yagbonwura and requested that he stood up and descended from his skins in order to exchange hand shakes with the President. The Yagbonwura didn’t pay heed to this. Then, the NPP regional Chairman, Mr. Kalamonia equally followed up to the King and also placed the same request, which the Yagbonwura played a deaf ear to.
5. As usual, the President was angered by the refusal of the Yagbonwura to stand up and descend from his skins to exchange pleasantries with him. He was forced to swallow his pride and then move to the Yagbonwura to shake hands.
6. The program proceeded according to plan; the President of the Gonjaland Youth Association presented his speech and as expected, it was supposed to be followed by the speech from the Yagbonwura.
7. Hon Abu Jinapor then, on the instructions of the President, stampeded the MC of the program and took the mic from him and then announced that, the President had his helicopter waiting and so, he was going to present his speech and then leave. This came without recourse to the King, not any reasonable explanation to the audience present and not with any humility.
8. The President proceeded to present his 5 mins speech, left with all his appointees and NPP functionaries at the program. In fact, they left the Member of the Council of state alone on the high table. This was well orchestrated to disrespect the King, disrupt the program and take the shine off the entire program.
9. The NDC functionaries angered by this show of disrespect, also requested President Mahama to leave the program. But as calm and humble as President Mahama was/is, he respectfully called for calm and also indicated that he was at the program as a son of the land and not in any position to disrespect the King, his father, and the people of Gonjaland as a whole.
10. President Mahama proceeded to give his speech after the King had presented his speech. In his speech, President Mahama made a solemn pledge to the King, that just as he delivered the Fufulso-Sawla road, he was going to the deliver the Damongo Water Project in his next government. He also pledged to build a regional hospital in Savannah as well as in all the newly created regions. He went further to promise that he was going to build a stadium for the region, among other pledges.
By Issifu Seidu Kudus Gbeadese
(Youth Imam from Laribanga)
0244198031
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