It is without doubt that our zongo communities today are and still remain the centre for nurturing individuals capable of inciting and executing violence hence distorting our national development.
To promote national development, there is always the need for the existence of peace and peace is defined as the absence of violence.
It is extremely disheartening to be witness to or hear of such situations where thieves, usually armed robbers, gang members, assailants of a crime etc are always found to be zongo boys. Very appalling.
Would we not make merry and have our neighbors share in the fun with us when we wake up one morning to hear that the overall best student of the university, be it Legon , Cape coast , KNUST and what have you, the most innovative student, the noble prize award winner etc were zongo boys? Wouldn’t we be proud if we woke up and instead of the usual Alhassan stole from Kwame at gunpoint, Rashid stabbed Kassim during an argument and so on had come to a halt? Wouldn’t we?
We claim peace but we do not practice it. We claim unity but fight each other publicly. It is undoubtedly true that in all homes, there are issues but some homes carry on their necks a huge number and until addressed there is the likelihood of a chaos when the neck can carry it no more.
At a forum today, a brother asked a question and I quote, “please, I would like to know why most often the zongo youth are consulted when politicians see the need to incite violence?
Hmmm. Is it not obvious, my brother? Is it not? Till recently, the number of students from our zongo communities were very few as compared to the number that remained at home without working nor schooling. Now, since it is only customary in Ghana that you answer a question with another question, I would attempt answering my brother’s question by asking him questions in three-fold.
First, assuming you were among the group of guys, which actually chose not to school nor work, what would you have resorted to doing?
Secondly, comparing the number of students in your zongo community to the number of drug addicts being produced, which do you think has a huge population?
And lastly, how many of the elites, graduates, dignitaries from your zongo community are giving back to the community via advocating to help eradicate drug addiction in your zongo community? How many did you get bro? Is this too much to ask? Don’t we have zongo men in high positions? Where are the likes of Dr Bawumia, Honorable Muntaka Mubaraq, Honorable Ras Mubaraq and more? Should we wait till elections to see or hear these happen? We can do better.
I have also come to understand that the people that are in position to help curb most of our violence related issues i.e. our Sheikhs and Mallams tend to be doing rather the opposite. I say this because today even within the community of Sheikhs and Mallams, there is the existence of some rivalry due to doctrinal difference. This inter and intra-doctrinal differences have and are gradually generating into wars since some self-acclaimed Mallams go as far as branding others as non-believers. Subhanallah. May Allah guide us all. Are we not ashamed of ourselves as Muslims? Are we not? How do you master the courage to come forth and preach to your Ummah about peace when you are not at peace with your fellow Muslim brother? Are you not ashamed of yourselves? My dear fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters in Islam and zongo for that matter it brings me great pain when I hear people branding zongo and any of its product with violence and it is for this reason that I would urge that we all come together, put away our differences and make our zongos a better place.
Spread the message. Be a strong zongo for development advocate and let peace rain. Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu.
My name is Siba Maswud Mohammed and I am a Zongo boy.
Siba Maswud Mohammed
University of Cape coast
School of Biological Science.
Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
Level 300
