Jira Yagbonwura BiiKunuto Jewu Soale I, the Overlord of the Gonja Kingdom, has successfully launched the BiiKunuto Educational Fund to support brilliant but needy students in the region. The fund was inaugurated during the grand durbar of the 2024 Damba Festival, held in Damongo on Monday, September 23, 2024. The launch was conducted by Jira Yagbonwura in collaboration with the Special Guest of Honour, Navro Pio Pe Asagepari II, the Paramount Chief of the Navrongo Traditional Area.
The BiiKunuto Educational Fund received substantial support from several prominent figures. Ghana’s Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, pledged GHC 200,000, while Navro Pio Pe Asagepari II contributed GHC 10,000. Finance Minister Dr. Amin Mohammed (Anta) donated GHC 100,000, and a representative for former President John Dramani Mahama and MP for Bole/Bamboi announced an initial support of GHC 50,000.
The 2024 Damba celebration attracted a distinguished crowd, including Paramount and sub-chiefs from the Gonja Kingdom, queen mothers, religious leaders, women’s and youth groups, security personnel, and representatives from various government agencies. The Vice President was represented by the Savannah Regional Minister, Saeed Muhazu Jibril, alongside a delegation from the New Patriotic Party (NPP). The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Aseidu Nketiah, represented former President Mahama, along with other high-ranking NDC officials.
Citations of appreciation were presented to prominent figures, including former President Mahama, Vice President Dr. Bawumia, and sons and daughters of the Gonja Kingdom, for their continued support of the region.
Speaking at the event, Benkrowura S.S. Bakari, on behalf of the Overlord of Gonja, expressed gratitude to all for their support since his enskinment as the leader of the Gonja Kingdom in March 2023. The theme for this year’s Damba celebration was “Fostering Peace, Progress, and Prosperity.”
Jira Yagbonwura emphasized the importance of peaceful elections in 2024, urging the two leading presidential candidates, John Mahama of the NDC and Dr. Bawumia of the NPP, to run their campaigns without hate speech, given their shared heritage in the region. He also highlighted the historic bond between the Gonja and Mamprugu Kingdoms, which transcends political affiliations, and appealed to Gonjalanders to remain disciplined and peaceful.
The Overlord described the launch of the BiiKunuto Educational Fund as a transformative initiative aimed at expanding educational opportunities within the Gonja Kingdom, the Savannah Region, and beyond. He called on people, particularly those in positions of influence, to contribute generously to the cause, recognizing that education is the key to unlocking the future for the youth.
Navro Pio Pe Asagepari II, in his address, praised the theme of the 2024 Damba Festival, noting its relevance to the aspirations of the Gonja Kingdom and northern Ghana as a whole. He emphasized that peace and development are ongoing efforts that require careful cultivation over time. As the 2024 elections approach, he urged the nation to safeguard Ghana’s reputation for peace, stability, and democratic governance.
NDC Chairman Johnson Aseidu Nketiah, representing former President Mahama, appealed to the three eminent chiefs of northern Ghana—the Yagbonwura of Gonja, the Ya-Naa of Dagbon, and the Nayiri of Mamprugu—to engage both Bawumia and Mahama in promoting peace ahead of the elections. He also called on the Electoral Commission of Ghana to conduct a forensic audit of the voters’ register to ensure a peaceful and transparent electoral process.
