The Bolgatanga-Bawku Road was blocked Friday to vehicular traffic for two hours to serve as a prayer ground as thousands of Muslims in the Upper East region turned up to observe prayers for this year’s Eid ul Adha, a “Sacrifice Feast” celebrated by Muslims worldwide.

The usual prayer ground for Islamic festivals in the region- a field at the Bolgatanga Craft Village- was abandoned amid rain scare. Worshippers, led by the Regional Chief Imam, Alhaji Yussif Adam, turned to the central mosque in the regional capital. The mosque, touted as the biggest Islamic worship centre in Ghana, could not hold the crowd.

With airtight congestion showing no drop inside the building, an overflow, estimated in hundreds, poured onto the nearby Bolgatanga-Bawku Road and unrolled their prayer mats on that stretch as police and soldiers stood everywhere to guard the packed worship arena from external disruption by vehicles. Scores also took to the rooftops of the houses around to observe the Eid prayers after the Chief Imam.

It is the second time in the year the mosque has turned out an afterthought for a similar occasion. An early downpour prompted a change of venue for the Eid-ul-Fitr prayers in June. Worshippers who failed to find space inside the central mosque stood side by side in adjoining kiosks. Friday’s overflow, according to some observers, is a revelation that Islam is growing in the region at a considerable pace.

The Bolga-Bawku Road turned into a prayer ground as a result of congestion in the nearby central mosque

“You know last Eid-ul-Fitr, the rains came in and spoilt the field, so we had to come here that very day. There was an anticipation that it could rain again. It was decided we should make this place (the central mosque) the venue for today’s prayers. But under normal circumstances, Eid prayers are not held in the mosque. Although it is not a taboo.

“From the time of the Holy Prophet, it has also been said we should go out of town to an open space and say the prayers there. There is nothing really wrong saying the prayers here. But you can see the jam. If it were normal Jumah prayers, people would have gone to the other mosques in Bolgatanga,” Alhaji Sumaila Issaka, who represents Muslims on the Upper East Regional Peace Council, told journalists at the mosque.

True to the scare, the anticipated cloudburst trailed the function soon after the crowd had dispersed. And ever since everybody returned home Friday, it has been a wet Eid-ul-Adha with the downpour coming intermittently and the dark clouds not disappearing.

We Need Peace for Akufo-Addo’s Vision for Ghana to Work- Minister

Representatives of the Christian faith made an official appearance at the event. A number of notable Christian and Islamic leaders in the region were spotted exchanging warm greetings at the Eid prayers Friday.

Observers hailed it as a good gesture for the needed peaceful co-existence among persons of diverse religious convictions in the region and beyond.

The Regional Chief Imam emphasised the need for all Muslims to use the occasion to deepen their faith in Allah. When the Upper East Regional Minister, Rockson Bukari, took his turn to address the worshippers, he said the vision President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had for Ghana could only be achieved in “a peaceful atmosphere”.

“My dear brothers and sisters, preparation for this year’s Hajj, as I have been informed, saw much improvement over [the] last year’s one. Even though there were a few hitches, the government on its part is determined to do all it can to facilitate the performance of future pilgrimages and other religious rituals that Islam prescribes.

“It should also be noted, my brothers and sisters, that His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has the vision to transform this dear nation of ours with his flagship programmes such as One Village One Dam [and] One District One Factory among others. This can be achieved in a peaceful atmosphere as he is a man of peace. I am aware Islam is a religion which rests on the bedrock of peace and unity,” the Regional Minister said.

Practise What You Preach- Minister Urged Religious Leaders

Mr. Bukari bewailed the spate of social vices in which both the region and the country have been engulfed. He was of the view that the country would be a better place if religious leaders would also put into practice the same virtues they preached.

“It is sad to note that the desire to get rich fast is killing that divine act of sacrifice. Gone are the days when a couple would spend years to buy a bicycle for the family. By throwing sacrifice to the dogs we find that armed robbery, motorbike snatching, corruption and other anti-social tendencies are very rampant in our country and region.

“The teachings of Islam are to stand the test of time. Eid-ul Adha, therefore, is a crusade and religious organisations have a vital role to play in spreading the message of honesty, probity, transparency, and accountability.

Religious leaders must not only preach these virtues but must be seen practicing them and be role models for their members,” he stressed.

The Bolgatanga Central Mosque is yet to be completed since the project started in the 1970s. It can seat 15,000 people, according to the authorities in charge of the project. Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, during his Ramadan tour of the region this year, donated Gh¢5,000 towards its completion.