Cry my beloved Dagbon: A letter from a humble son

Have you seen that mad man? That mad man who is still crying, after years of cry already? Weeping, having wept already? That man who has lost everything and not willing to recover?

That mad man who fights his shadow in a long battle, defeats it and jumps to the roof, singing songs that only he understands? That mad man who leaves his peaceful home and search in the wilderness for a better, serene and beautifully designed home to suit his taste?

That mad man whose great great grandfather, and all those people who fought hard to earn appellations of "gbuhindi" for him are no more relevant and need no attention.

His children left to their fate, his future bleak, retrogressive at a time of global and technological speed, lurching and striding to and fro, like a drunkard who thinks he can drink away his problems, only to keep his long slumber without any struggle for development?

That man who is now a liar, of northern extraction, and difficult to be understood? His royal regalia stripped off, his chest bare, with tattered clothes and now a weightless "once upon a time hero"?

..................Don't get it twisted...................

Call him "mma bia" "gbuhindi bia gbuhindi" "Dagbana" "bingma chera lana", "gukurili so paga, sumanga nyegisa ka fiegu fiegu ka narili, sankarayili doo ma bia, naa luro yaanga, naa gbewaa zuu, ka baa ndohi ka buu leli, chesoli ka dari mori doo bia doo" Mani limanyili karimbia n fabindi ngo, m-pala lunga jaandi ningmi suhulo ni n-chirimbu, nom balim balim ka ting maai".

His shadow is either Abudu or Andani. A battle won for Abudus is no win at all as an Andani is a shadow of an Abudu and both are one physical and spiritual entity connected to the same umbilical cord. Likewise, a battle won for Andanis is no win at all since an Abudu is a shadow of an Andani.

It is madness to think that you can wipe out the generation of Andanis or Abudus and still be that strong "once upon a time lion". Enough of that poison from my old man, teacher, pastor, politician, imam, Chief, opinion leader, or stranger who ought to know better but chooses to run the rhetorics of "Abudus are not correct" or "Andanis are not correct".

ARE YOU YOURSELF CORRECT for choosing to run down, derail, destroy, weaken, or cause a near genocide to my beloved DAGBON through your actions and inactions? In Maths we learn that 1000 minus any number except zero, however insignificant it is, equals to something less than 1000.

I like what Horace Mann says on conflict i.e. "Do not think of knocking out another person's brains because he differs in opinion from you. It would be as rational to knock yourself on the head because you differ from yourself ten years ago."

As for that Chieftaincy contractor who seeks to continue to fill his belly without talks of compromise, "Naawuni mali ma zali a zaashee".

As for that educated elite whose education makes him no better than a Hitler, how much different are you from the truck pusher or farmer who thinks like "let us fight, we won't agree, or "choooo boi"?

How can you read your theories of development in school, university or college, only to return home and put aside those books and dance to the rhythms of old songs by old folks whose generations have passed.

As for the revered Chief or regent, may you put aside your selfish interest, your fame, your titles, and weep a moment, for DAGBON to come out from its factional conundrum. There and then your true fame and appellations would be spread abound for generations yet unborn to hear your contribution as a hero.

Don't even tell me we have peace if you refuse to see our palaces as military barracks. It is strange to enter a community, having true peace, yet soldiers and police have erected mini camps to guard the king or Chief.

Let me even hasten to add that our district assembly common fund that is used to fuel their vehicles has suffered enough of our conflict. To think that there is peace, you are not far from that mad man so described earlier.

I like the African proverb which says that "WHEN TWO BROTHERS FIGHT TO DEATH A STRANGER INHERITS THEIR PROPERTY" I cannot count the social, economic and political costs this Abudu-Andani mafia has brought to us.

Indeed, we have been so cheap to the extent that a stranger who wants to sell or claim even the entire kingdom can do so while we give him the standing ovation, and salute him "yes sir! How?

He will just align himself to a faction, finito. Let every non-Dagomba remove his 'nose' from our problems unless he is seeking to mediate and find lasting solutions to the great kingdom.

Meanwhile if the saying that "IF THERE IS NO ENEMY WITHIN, THE ENEMY OUTSIDE CAN DO US NO HARM" is true how can we blame the politician, media men, elite, lawyer, rich men, or that somebody who comes to gain from our disunity.

Therefore, our resolve for peace should be more important than the external efforts. I wish I have power, like a king Kong, to exterminate that canker just like that. "aba di wumti"

As for the Eastern Corridor Region blues, Mr.. President, let it come as you rightly promised for your effort at the peace process should include such projects.

Yendi is the only municipality in the current Northern Region, next to Tamale Metro, with supporting services to host and serve the surrounding districts, communities, ethnic groups, towns, villages, and hamlets.

We need development now to engage the youth, the poor farmer, the market woman and every Tom Dick and Harry. I don't believe in the theory that where there is conflict there should be no development. So those thinking we don't deserve it, both within and without, should rethink.

Before you start criticising my write up I will humbly and sincerely apologize for my insensitivity, inaccurateness, poor grammar and particularly to my revered chiefs and regents, after much disrespect to your highness.

As for my friend who is not a Dagomba ,I am sorry if I hurt your feelings too. Otherwise share my post, if you truly believe in peace and development, until it reaches who ever has power and authority to act.

Tell him our tears are no more. Tell him we have lost enough. Tell him we need our friends, love partners and family back. Tell him we want to be free in our speech without any presumptive tags or second meanings.

Tell him we want to be free to join any political party, be it NPP or NDC, like the Jinapos elsewhere. Tell him our mistrust for each other, our joblessness, our self-inflicted drought, famine, hunger and starvation, and doldrums of poverty are enough. #n_nabi_di_wumti. If you are tired, let us organize mammoth demonstrations dubbed "DIWUMTI DEMO" across the length and breadth of Dagbon.

Thank you.

Your true son
.........................

Abubakari Is-haq Motariga

Tutor, Dagbon State Senior High School

(Yendi)