Tension in Ho Zongo as youth call on Nana Addo, Chief Imam for resolution to avoid riot

Correspondence from Volta Region

One of the country’s peaceful Muslim’s communities, Ho Zongo is likely to experience riot over the regional Imamship position.

There has been confusion among the Ho Muslim folks for more than a decade after the demise of the then Volta regional Chief Imam, Umoro Danjimah Hamzah.

In GhanaWeb’s quest to have a fair idea on the development, it was made known that, the First Deputy Chief Imam, Alfa Anas was subsequently installed as a substantial regional Chief Imam but his legitimacy is being challenged by another party, Muniru Hamzah who believes he is the rightful successor.

The Chamba Chief Judge, Suhailu Mohammed in an interview with GhanaWeb on the development noted that, according to the traditions of Islam, “If there is no Imam the deputy will take over, so after him (the late Chief Imam) our spiritual leaders sat down and confirmed Alfa Anas as Imam and they (Zongo tribes) all accepted him”

He further noted that, after the installation Alfa Anas, Muniru Hamzah was also brought in and installed as Chief Imam, Sahailu explained that, although Muniru Hamzah’s grandfather was a Chief Imam “In Islam, the deputy learns from the Imam and he (deputy) will take over” hence there is no need for Muniru to be the Chief Imam but rather Alfa Anas.

The development has so far led to confusion over who should lead prayers at the Ho central mosque, hence a temporal closure of the mosque by the Ho Municipal Security Council.

GhanaWeb also understands that the Landlords, Asogli State, led by the Paramount Chief, Togbe Afede over the weekend charged the two parties, Alfa Anas and Muniru Hamzah to go have a dialogue for peaceful coexistence.

The Zongo youth are, however, calling on the office of the National Chief Imam and the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to come to their aid by resolving the problem before it sparks into mayhem.

“I’m using this opportunity to call on the President Nana Akufo-Addo, the first gentleman in this country, we know if he intervenes, the truth will come, I’m using this opportunity to call on the National Chief Imam, I’m calling all the Ulmah, Alzuna, Tinjania to intervene because the Quran is one, I don’t want anybody to use money to influence anybody, if not we don’t know what will happen in Zongo, and Zongo you know them if you say don’t do, and they start, they will not stop, so we’re calling on the first gentleman of this country to help us” Sahailu Mohammed said.