Recently, the Jirapa Traditional Council in the Upper West Region held its maiden meeting. Consequently, it brought together divisional chiefs, elders, and key stakeholders to chart a path for tradition, unity, and development.
The Paramount Chief of the Jirapa Traditional Area and President of the Council, Naa Dinaa Donglabong Ganaa III, presided over the meeting. It was the first of its kind under the current Council.
Moreover, in his keynote, Naa Dinaa Donglabong Ganaa III said the festival’s revival restored confidence in traditional authority. He said the Council would leverage the festival to promote tourism and create opportunities for the people of Jirapa. The Bong-ngo Festival is traditionally held to mark two moments. It celebrates the lifting of the dawadawa harvesting ban and the farming season’s start.
Fight against social vices
The Paramount Chief, however, expressed concern over emerging social challenges threatening the future of young people in the municipality.
He described the rising sale and use of illicit drugs in Jirapa Municipality as a menace. It calls for urgent collective action.
According to him, the Traditional Council, security agencies, parents, religious bodies, and other stakeholders must work together. They must protect the youth from drug abuse. “We cannot afford to lose our young people to drugs,” he said, adding that the future of Jirapa depends largely on the well-being and productivity of its youth.
The Paramount Chief also expressed worry over the rising incidence of rape and sexual abuse. He said the Council would not overlook such acts and called for stronger community vigilance, reporting and support for victims.
He stressed that the commitment and practical actions of the Council in the coming months would determine its relevance to the people.
Stakeholder presentations
As part of the meeting, selected institutions were given ten minutes each to present updates on their work in the municipality. The institutions included the Ghana Education Service (GES). St. Joseph Credit Union, Azumah Resources Ghana, the Anwelle Foundation, and the Office of the Municipal Chief Executive were listed.
Presenting on behalf of GES, the Jirapa District Director of Education, Mr Abdul-Kadiri Huudi, outlined achievements recorded in education delivery in the municipality.
He, however, highlighted persistent challenges, including communities without schools, overcrowding in some existing schools and seasonal absenteeism among pupils.
GES proposed deeper collaboration with the Traditional Council in three key areas. These are securing school lands, ending child labour, and supporting maintenance of school infrastructure.
Anwelle Foundation’s interventions
A major highlight of the meeting was a presentation by the Anwelle Foundation, the main sponsor of the event.
The Foundation outlined several life-changing interventions it has undertaken in the Jirapa Municipality. Its Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Frank Anwelle, told the gathering that the Foundation had supported more than 2,000 residents to register for and renew their National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) cards.
He said the Foundation also organized free pre-SHS vacation classes for Junior High School graduates to prepare them for senior high school. In addition, more than 1,900 placement vouchers were procured for JHS leavers to check and print their BECE results.
Mr Anwelle further disclosed that the Foundation supported trained weavers with working tools during their graduation, among other community support initiatives.
He announced plans to expand the Foundation’s interventions, including the acquisition of a bus to support the operations of the Traditional Council. He appealed for the Council’s partnership and support to deepen the Foundation’s impact in the municipality.
Council’s renewed commitment
The maiden meeting ended with a renewed commitment by the Jirapa Traditional Council to work closely with state institutions, development partners, traditional authorities and residents to address the municipality’s social and developmental challenges.
Naa Dinaa Donglabong Ganaa III urged all stakeholders to move beyond rhetoric. He called for practical steps to safeguard the youth, preserve the area’s cultural heritage, and accelerate development in Jirapa. The Paramount Chief has previously emphasised stakeholder collaboration and a standardised development plan for the traditional area.
