The National Gonja Land Youth Association (GLYA), which has been championing the transformational agenda of Gonjaland in the Northern Region, is 40 years.
The association, since its establishment among other achievements, is credited for deepening peaceful co-existence in the area.
As part of activities lined up for the 40th Anniversary beginning March 24th at Kpembe, a symposium was organized in Tamale.
Some high profile personalities including the association’s General Secretary, the association’s President and the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna addressed the gathering.
Alhaji Limuna decried partisan political polarization of the association and tasked the leaders to remain resolute and united.
He emphasized the need for the association to concentrate on its core mandate of conflict resolution and peace management.
Alhaji Limuna nonetheless commended the association’s leadership for uniting Gonjas through such events.
He said the Northern Region was bedevilled with myriad socio-economic challenges and needed such a vibrant association to overturn the situation.
The association’s President, Alhassan Dramani, unveiled the theme for the congress as, “40 years of promoting peaceful co-existence for sustainable development, the role of Gonjaland Youth Association.”
Explaining the essence of the symposium he said “Our preparedness as a people has been symbolic in many ways and as such the reason for organizing a platform like this today. The initiative of organizing a symposium before congress is to create the needed awareness of congress, discuss the theme and give us the opportunity to initiate discussions that lead to the consolidation of our collective gains as an association,” he added.
Alhassan Dramani reiterated the need for peaceful co-existence in the entire Northern Region where there are pockets of chieftaincy, land and other conflicts.
“The good news is that, the Gonjaland Youth Association is today well positioned than before, to play an instrumental role in ensuring peaceful co-existence within Gonjaland, the Northern Region and the entire nation at large, and we need to still work extra hard as a team to institutionalize this position.”
The association’s General Secretary, Dramani Dari, implored members to desist from affiliating the association to political parties.
He maintained that the association was devoid of partisan considerations and accordingly urged members to be neutral in discussing the GLYA matters.
Dramani Dari said the association would continue to support brilliant but needy pupils in Gonjaland to acquire higher academic laurels.
He commended the Gonjaland Traditional Council for amicably resolving some identified chieftaincy conflicts in the area.
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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/Citifmonline.com/Ghana