We regret not naming a 'Fugu' after Rawlings - Smock Makers Association

Secretary of Smock Makers Association at Morshe Market in the Northern Region, Mohammed Ali Abdul Somed, has disclosed the regret of natives of the three Northern regions—the birthplace of the 'Fugu'—for not naming one of the smocks after former President J.J. Rawlings.

The traditional cloth of the Northern regions in Ghana has a unique production process and is often named after its patterns, the source of its primary material, and, more recently, notable individuals in society.

“Currently, we are naming materials after dignified people around us, important people... We have a wear named Lordina Mahama because she wore it; we have named it after her,” he explained.

“The material itself existed in the system not long before they came to power, but because she wore it and introduced it to the world, we named it after her. Samira Bawumia also came and started wearing a particular dress, so we named that after her,” he added.

According to Abdul Somed, former President Rawlings was one of the first presidents to showcase the traditional cloth to the world by wearing it for official functions, but they never bothered to name the particular 'Fugu' he used to wear after him.

He noted that Rawlings helped market the 'Fugu' globally during his tenure, but at the time, their ability to commercialize the production of the 'Fugu' was not fully developed.

“Back then, our maturity in selling our material was not at that level; look at how he marketed the 'Fugu.' But we never named it after him. The kind of dresses he was wearing, the material is called 'Bonga,' but we never took the effort to name it after him,” he lamented.

“It pains us now because that was the era of our grandfathers. They were unaware of business opportunities. If we had named it after him, maybe Rawlings would have taken the initiative to market it more,” he bemoaned.

Presently, this traditional outfit, which was also worn by Ghana’s first president and his peers during the declaration of the nation’s independence, has become a trending fashion sensation nationwide, transcending regional and tribal boundaries.

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