NPP Communicators with the brand name ” Concerned Youth of Zongo” petitioned Zongo Chiefs over the removal of the Ashanti Regional Chief Imam Saga

NPP Communicators with the brand name ” Concerned Youth of Zongo” petitioned Zongo Chiefs over the removal of the Ashanti Regional Chief Imam Saga

A group called itself “Concerned Youth of Zongo” has petitioned the Ashanti Regional Zongo Chiefs and Ulamaa to disregard the frivolous petition submitted to them in their office by another Zongo youth group called “Coalition of Zongo Intellectuals” asking them to remove the regional chief imam for engaging in partisan politics.

Speaking to the media about the issue on Tuesday, November 21, 2023, in Kumasi, Mr. Karmal Mohammed, the convener and a member of the NPP Ashanti regional communication team, stated that they would like to convey a warning and advice to those individuals and pseudo groups to refrain from their unjustified attacks on the CLERGY and the regional CHIEF IMAM.

“We the CONCERN YOUTH OF ZONGO wish to advise and send a word of caution to these individuals and pseudo groups to desist from the unwarranted attacks on the regional CHIEF IMAM and the CLERGY”. He said.

Read Full Statement Below:

 

21ST NOVEMBER 2023
PRESS CONFERENCE BY
CONCERN YOUTH OF ZONGO-KUMASI
Good morning ladies and gentlemen of the press.
In the past few weeks, following the general condemnation of the
unguarded utterances of Hon. Sam George, the Member of Parliament for
Ningo Prampram against H. E the Vice President and Flagbearer of the
NPP, Alhaji Dr.Mahamudu Bawumia. One such condemnation emanated
from the revered Ashanti regional chief Imam, Shaikh Abdul Mumin
Harun. He among others cited instances where he had honoured invitation
to church events. He described the comments by the legislator as dirty and
called on him to retract and apologize to the Muslim community. He
asserted that it is not a sin for the flagbearer of the NPP to honour church
events and added that the fact that he fellowships with the Christians does
not change his faith as a practicing Muslim, but rather a manifestation of
his understanding of the dictates of Islam.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Ashanti regional Imam went on to cite an
instance where the flagbearer of the NDC H.E John Dramani Mahama
Equally participated in a recent conference of regional imams at the
Kumasi central mosque where he entered the mosque with his shoes. He
added that all this is not a big deal. Rather paradoxically this statement
of fact has triggered disaffection to the National Democratic Congress
including, surprisingly, Muslims amongst them. It is a worrying scenario
that they found the condemnable utterance of Sam George as a gospel but
the statement of fact by the Imam as a sin to the NDC

As a result of the foregoing, known NDC functionaries and nonexistent
pseudo NDC groups suddenly emerged through interviews and petitions
to attack the personality of the revered man of Allah and his office. It is
not lost on well-meaning Ghanaians the NDC’s appetite for attacking and
insulting the clergy.
We can recount an executive member of the NDC in the Tema East
constituency, Mr. Stephen Ashitey Adjei accused the former president
John Dramani Mahama of courting anger of the clergy for the NDC when
the issue of e-levy became topical.
The NDC have attacked and question the calling of prominent Church
leaders such as Rev. Isaac OWUSU BEMPAH, DR MENSAH OTABIL,
REV. PROF. EMMANUEL MARTEY, BISHOP STEPHEN
BOSOMTWE AYENSU in the past to mention but a few. DOES THE
NDC RESPECT THE VIEWS OF THE CLERGY ON POLITICAL
ISSUES? WHY THE CONSTANT ATTACK ON THE CLERGY?
We the CONCERN YOUTH OF ZONGO wish to advice and send a word
of caution to these individuals and pseudo groups to desist from the
unwarranted attacks on the regional CHIEF IMAM and the CLERGY.
Funny enough not a single allegation have they adduced in connection to
the Imam but empty unsubstantiated claims.
Friends of the media, less than a week old spurious group calling itself
Coalition of Zongo Intellectuals in a laughable and jaundiced petition to
the council of ULAMAA and ZONGO CHIEFS described the interview
granted by the Imam as ‘engaging in parochial partisan politics’ without stating which part of the interview explicitly or suggested so. This begs to question the intellectuality of the membership of the deceptive group as
their name suggest.

The same group finds the association of the Imam to the government of
the day as a sin but finds it appropriate if it is the NDC. Prior to the 2020
general election the flagbearer of the NDC in the company of HON.
Muntaka Mubarak and the former MCE for Asokore Mampong called on
the regional Imam for prayer at his SUAME residence.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the factitious group alleged that the Imam have
reneged on his duties. They ignorantly cited the Zongo Seven unfortunate
demise as an example among others. They noted without equivocation
that, ‘the singular act of Kumasi Zongo youth at the time forced the
government of Ghana to cause an investigation into the gruesome murder
and to compensate the families of the deceased’. This is the height of
indiscipline and bad followership of some recalcitrant zongo youth hiding
under the cloak of partisanship to denigrate and insult the entire zongo
leadership architecture. ie Zongo chiefs and Imams who had had sleepless
night to ensure justice is served. One of a kind in the history of zongo
community Ghana. The concern youth of Zongo do remember the
instrumental role the Ulamaa lead by the Regional Chief Imam shaikh
Abdul Mumin Harun and the Zongo chiefs lead by the late Sarkin Zango
Alhaji Sultan Umar Faruk Saeed ( Rahimahul Lah) with the support of the
youth played in ensuring peace and justice.
We do not have short memories not to remember the lead role of the Imam
when a meeting was held with H.E Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo at
the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council which brought about the
formation of the committee of enquiry.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Concern Youth of Zongo wish to state
without any contradiction that, the Ashanti regional chief Imam is a
servant leader, a man of integrity with high sense of leadership, a leader par excellence. It is worthy of note that, under the leadership of Shaikh
Abdul Mumin Harun,
1. His office has established the REGIONAL RECONCILIATION
COMMITTEE. Successes chalked by the committee is not limited
to the settlement of the Dagomba Chieftancy conflict and the sarkin
fawa chieftaincy feud in Kumasi.
2. The office has also established the MUSLIM PEACE COUNCIL
under the office of the regional chief Imam. The council has ensured
an enhanced peace and tranquility in the Zongo community to a
large extent.
At this juncture ladies and Gentlemen of the media, we will like to call on
well-meaning Ghanaians, civil society organization and the media to
continue their gate keeping role of condemning religious extremism and
bigotry as well as unwarranted and unprovoked attacks on religious
leaders.
We further call on the Zongo Chiefs and Ulamaa to disregard any
frivolous petition to their office. It must be treated with the contempt it
deserves.
The concern youth of Zongo will like to finally take the singular
opportunity to applaud the convention of the NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY
in ensuring unity of purpose and equal opportunity to deserving members
to lead the party. The election of Alhaji Dr, Mahamudu Bawumia as the
flagbearer of the party has cleared the doubt of the Zongo people that the
NPP is a national party by its character and formation and also affirms the
saying that, ‘WE ARE ONE PEOPLE, ONE NATION WITH DIVERSE
CULTURE AND FAITH BUT WITH A COMMON DESTINY’.
MAY ALLAH BLESS OUR HOMELAND GHANA AND MAKE HER
GREAT AND STRONG. THANK