NEW CHIEF FOR TAMALE (PAGE 18)

A NEW chief has been installed in Tamale. He is Dakpema Mohammed Alhassan Dawuni, 56.
The installation was carried out very peacefully on Friday, February 6 and was marked with much pomp and pageantry, amidst the display of the customs and cherished values of the people of Dagbon.
Social, commercial and economic activities in the metropolis, particularly in the central business district, came to a halt for almost the whole day.
The two major markets were closed down, while shops, stalls and stores were all locked up to pave way for the new chief, who was in dark glasses, and his wife as they were carried shoulder high as tradition demanded.
The Dakpema and his retinue of elders went round the central market and performed some customary rites for God’s blessings.
The chief was accompanied by a large crowd of enthusiastic followers, particularly women, who held Neem tree branches and sang and danced to gong-gong beats amidst the firing of musketry.
The grand ceremony attracted the attention of people from all walks of life, including foreign tourists who jostled with the celebrants to take shots of the newly installed Dakpema.
Later in an interview with the Daily Graphic, the chief mentioned unity, education and job creation as some of the issues he intended to dwell on during his reign.
He called for peaceful co-existence and advised the indigenes, especially the youth, to channel their energies into productive ventures and not engage in any violent acts at the least provocation.
Dakpema Dawuni also entreated parents and guardians to take the education of their children and wards serious by ensuring that they offered them the necessary support to complete their education.
He noted that the city was blessed with both human and material resources that could have a major impact on the growth of the area if all hands were put on deck.
The chief further intimated that contrarily to the negative perception some people had of the metropolis, Tamale was the hub of the proverbial Ghanaian hospitality, with a multiplicity of valued culture and traditions.
He, therefore, urged potential investors and visitors alike not to hesitate to relocate to the city to enjoy its warmth and business opportunities.
Until his enskinment, Dapkema Dawuni worked with the Plant Protection and Quarantine Unit of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), Tamale. He is also a farmer.
He succeeded the late Dakpema, Richard Alhassan, who died in September 2007 at the age of 81 after a short illness. Born in Tamale in August 1926, the late Dakpema was enskinned on February 20, 1967 and ruled for 40 years.


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