Youth Associations be it political, ethnic and religious ones are supposed to be tools for social change and vehicles for positive development.
The Gonjaland Youth Association was formed in 1976 by a group of individuals who had a great vision about Gonjaland. Their objective was for the Association to become a vehicle for coordinating the development of Gonjaland. Since then the Association has engaged itself in a many issues of development over the years.
The Gonjaland Youth Association helped to build the Royal Mausoleum (burial place of Yagbonwura's (Kings) at Mankuma; The new “Jakpa Palace” at Damongo which is the Palace and residence of Yagbonwura’s (Kings) of the Gonja Kingdom was put up with the assistance of the Association; A ward was constructed at the Gurgu Clinic in Tamale by the Association in order to provide accommodation for members who may visit the Clinic for treatment; The Gonjaland Youth Association also secured a land at Sankpala in the Central Gonja District and a secretariat and Guest House are under construction.
Also the Association has played advocacy roles. Some ongoing projects like the Fufulso
-Sawla Road, Tamale -Salaga-Mankango and Mpaha roads as well as the establishment Health Assistant Training schools at Kpembe, Bole and Damongo are partly as result of the advocacy from the Association.
The Association played vital roles in ensuring peace in Gonjaland. The association took part in addressing Chieftaincy issue in Kafaaba, Daboya, Buipe and several other issues that saw their intervention. The Gonjaland Youth Association has been meeting Chiefs to discuss many issues that are detrimental to development such as illegal logging, activities of illegal miners and the menace of alien Fulani herdsmen.
The Gonjaland Youth Association has worked over the years to meet its aims and objectives. Some of the aims are:
Foster unity, solidarity and fraternity amongst our members and other groups; Secure the welfare, respect and dignity of our members; Ensure discipline amongst our members; Foster the spirit of brotherhood and mutual respect among all people living in Gonjaland; Work to maintain
and promote Peace and understanding among the people of Gonjaland; Initiate and develop links between the Youth groups, other tribes, Chiefs and Elders of Gonjaland; Defend and safeguard the interest of Gonjaland at all times; Promote development programmes in Gonjaland; and helping to maintain the customs and Traditions in Gonjaland.
The current executive of the Gonjaland Youth Association took over the Association with a resolve to transform the Association into a formidable and result oriented one. During the handing over ceremony in 2013, the President Alhassan Dramani said inter alia, “Leadership is not about individualism but a collective responsibility”.
Since then many people from Gonjaland with various abilities and capabilities have been called on to assist in the programmes and projects of the Association.
In an effort by the Association to enhance the quality and availability of information to members and the general public, the Associations launched a website last year.
Also a magazine called “Jakpa Magazine” was launched at the 38th Congress of the Gonjaland Youth Association at Daboya in the North Gonja District of Northern Region. Jakpa Magazine aims primarily at disseminating information on Gonjaland including History, Tourism, Agriculture, Chieftaincy, Entrepreneurship, Entertainment, Sports and others,
Dr Sulemana Achanso a lecturer at the University of Development Studies, Tamale who did the launch of the magazine said it is a periodical containing a collection of articles, stories, features and pictures of beautiful scenes in Gonjaland.
According to him he had the opportunity to read the first edition and can assure everybody the magazine is very educative because of the quality of information that it contains and very entertaining as a result of the beautiful scenes it carries on Gonjaland.
He said the editorial board of the magazine has deliberately made the first edition so attractive so that anybody who buys it would want to but the subsequent editions.
Dr Achanso acknowledged the National executives of the Gonjaland Youth Association and the editorial board of the Jakpa Magazine led by the Public Relations Officer Mahama Haruna for their ingenuity and thanked the Chief Executive Officer of Engineers and Planners for sponsoring the designing and printing of the first edition of the Magazine.
The first copy of the Jakpa Magazine was bought on behalf of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana by Alhaji Inusah Fusheini the Minster of Lands and Forestry for 10,000 Ghana cedis. There was a mad rush for the magazine with all 1000 copies sold.
The second edition of ‘Jakpa Magazine’ would be out in a few months. Write-ups and if possible photos on the following topics and areas are welcomed:
History; Chieftaincy; Myths and Truths; Prominent Gonjaland women; Tourism; Features; Agriculture; Hall of Fame; Governance; Entrepreneurship/Business/Finance; Entertainment and Sport.
Write ups would be credited to their writers and can be sent to: gonjalandyouth@yahoo.com or mahama.haruna@gmail.com
By Mahama Haruna
The writer is the PRO of the National Gonjaland Youth Association.
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