The King and Overlord of Dagbon, His Majesty Yaa Naa Abukari II, has thrown his weight and support behind the establishment of the Northern Region Muslims Council. The council was formerly inaugurated in December 2022 to promote religious tolerance among the various Muslim sects and non-Muslims in the Northern Region and to also use the Islamic religion as a tool for development.
Leadership of the council over the weekend paid a courtesy call on the Yaa Naa at the Gbewaa Palace in Yendi to formerly introduced executives of the group to him and strengthen ties with the traditional authorities of the Dagbon traditional area.
The Council Chairman, Sheikh Issah Alhassan Abubakari, in his submission reiterated the council is an amalgamated body of all Muslims sects in the region.
“We have paid homage to the King of Dagbon to formally communicate to him about the formation of an organization that has under it all Muslim sects in the region and even beyond because we have Savannah region being part of it.”
He noted the group has been in existence for over two years but was still working in close doors until it was officially launched on December 10, 2022, in Tamale.
“…So, all along it was only letters we were writing to Ndan Yaa Naa informing him about the formation of the council but today we have had the time and the opportunity to mobilize the entire membership of the council and the board of patrons to formally announce to we have succeeded in coming out with the organization” he stressed.
Sheikh Issah Alhassan Abubakari said added the Yaa Naa was also briefed about the activities and aims and objectives of the council.
The Council Chairman in exclusive interview observed that students in the region are always lagging behind anytime the external examinations are conducted annually.
He maintained that the northern region in about past ten years now has continuously been ranked at the bottom of the performance league table.
“We made known it to the Overlord that education in the northern region is nothing to write home about. When the league is out for the examination, we realize that close about nine or ten years, it almost always the northern region that is always at the bottom of the league. If it is not northern region then it is going to be Upper West or Upper East – they are always interchangeable and we have to change the narrative” he emphasized.
He disclosed the council has instituted an Education Committee headed by Dr Sule of Tamale College of Education (TACE) and Quality Assurance Committee headed by Dr Ibrahim Gunu, Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University for Development Studies (UDS) to address the poor performance of students in the north.
He added plans are also in place for the establishment of Technical and Vocational training centers to equip the youth who have dropout of school to acquire gainful skills in order productive and become responsible adults in the future.
The Yaa Naa in his remarks said the formation of the council was a milestone achievement and commended the council members for conceiving such an idea.
He said parents and guardians must take both circular and Islamic education of their wards very serious and not allow them to engage in social vices.
Yaa Naa Abukari II intimated children must not be left on their own and must be closely monitored and guided to become responsible adults in the future.
He observed some parents and guardians in recent years are reneging on their parental duties which has resulted school dropouts of some children.
“Every parent will account for their stewardship in the hereafter. Today, people have given birth to children and abandoned them and the children do whatsoever that they please but we shouldn’t forget that we would account for how we took care of our children” he stated.
