Signals of joy and appreciation drew thousands of ecstatic crowds to flood the streets of Damongo when the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, visited the area on Monday, October 14, 2024, as part of a two-day visit of the Northern, North East and Savanna regions.
To the people of Gongaland, the birth of the Savanna region by President Akufo-Addo, after a long waiting period spanning almost half a century and amidst a period of stark disappointment when one of their own kith and kin was President, is vivid testament that a brother is not only a person born by your parent or hails from your area, but could be someone who comes from a far off land yet has your most desired interests at hand.
Such was the palpable sentiment in Damongo when organically appreciative people of Gonjaland thronged the streets to mob and praise President Akufo-Addo.
Aside the creation of the region, doses of profound appreciation were also dished out to for the exciting period of cooperation that had existed and continues to exist between the former and current occupants of the great Jakpa stool, as well as the deservingly rapid elevation of their son Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, that has heralded a period of progressive change, prosperity and a marked improvement in lives and livelihoods.
The Yagbonwura, Bikunuto Jewu Soale I, extended his appreciaition of the visit by the President and reflected on the numerous contributions made towards the development of the region.
Oh his part, President Akufo-Addo conveyed the gratitude of the nation to the Jakpa stool which under Yagbonwura Tutumba Boresa Sulemana Jakpa I, one of the three chiefs which included the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and the Nayiri, Mahama Abdulai Sheriga, “who helped me to bring peace to Dagbon.”
“The second was the cooperation I received from him in the creation of the Savannah region. When I came to office, I received the petition from the people and the chiefs of Gonjaland, that they wanted their own region and had been demanding it for many years.
I said to him that, the way the constitution is written, it is the people of the area who will determine whether they want a region or not. I told him on my part, I am ready, and that if he was ready then we can work together. And by the grace of God, we were able to work together, and we succeeded in bringing the Savannah region into existence. So I will always remember him, and will always be grateful to the Jakpa stool, for these two great achievements of my presidency.”
Reflecting on the period of campaign in 2016, President Akufo-Addo said, “when I was campaigning here in 2016, I told you, that sometimes, your best brother is not the man from your village, but from a village far away, and that’s me, your brother from Kyebi, I will look after you better than your own brother.
That is why today, he continued, “in education, health, road infrastructure, industrial development, agriculture, in all of these sectors, there is every reason for the people of the Savannah region to be happy about the presidency of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.”
The President also mentioned the over In the years before I came to office, every year, over 100,000 young men and women who will drop out of education between Junior High School and Senior High School, not because they did not have the qualification, but because their parents could not afford Senior High School Education.
“Over ten years that will mean one million young Ghanaians will drop out of the educational system, and that was a big waste on the human resources of our country. And that is why I insisted that if the good people of Ghana gave me the chance I will institute the Free Senior High school policy.”
He was confident that the purpose of all these is to prepare our country to compete successfully in this twenty first century. So you are hearing of students from our schools winning global awards in robotics and artificial intelligence.
