Vice President John Mahama
THE VICE President John Dramani Mahama has asked northerners and the Zongo community to educate the girl child in order for her to realize her full potential in life.
The vice president, who was speaking at the just-ended Ramadan Conference held in Bolgatanga, said the Muslim girl child must be encouraged to stay in school and complete school as is being done in other communities.
According to him, the girl child should not get married at a very early age or be withdrawn from school to do menial jobs to support the family budget. She should not be forced to succumb to cultural practices and beliefs that inhibit her from acquiring a secular education.
He also urged Muslims and the northern communities to prioritize secular education since it could empower them to become effective citizens within the global village.
“Education is still acknowledged as the one single factor that is able to draw people out of poverty within the shortest possible time, which will enable our people take advantage of opportunities that present themselves in the world of work.” he added.
The Vice President also advised Muslims and northerners to work hard to erase the perception that they were violent people. He further urged them to help remove the impression that they were errand boys and instruments of trouble in the hands of politicians.
“We may be poor but we must continue to maintain our values of honesty and integrity.
The National Ramadan Conference is an annual event organized to select a common date for all Muslim sects in the country to start the Ramadan.
By consensus, Sunday, 31st July 2011 shall be the first sighting of the moon of the month of Ramadan. If sighted on this day, Monday the 1st of August 2011 shall be the 1st day of Ramadan.
If not sighted on Sunday, 31st July, then Monday 1st August shall complete the month of Shaban, by calculation, and therefore Tuesday, August 2, 2011, shall automatically commence the Ramadan for 2011.
The conference also resolved that all regions should be represented on the National Hajj Board to enhance quality delivery of Hajj services.
Speaking on behalf of National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osumanu Nuhu Sharabutu, the National Executive Secretary at his office, Alhaji Awaisu Bio, urged Muslims to tolerate each other to ensure unity and foster faster nation building and community development.
Alhaj Awaisu also advised Muslims and Ghanaians to comport themselves and not do anything that would tarnish the image of the religion and the nation as a whole.
The theme for this year’s National Ramadan/Hilal Conference is “Religious and Ethnic Tolerance, Prerequisite for Peace and
Development.”
Upper East Regional Minister, Mark Woyongo noted that the Upper East region has had its fair share of ethnic conflict and hoped that lessons drawn from the conference will further quench the embers of conflict, especially in Bawku and other conflict-prone areas in this country.
According to Mr. Woyongo, the various religious denominations in the region had created an inter-religious dialogue which serves as a vehicle through which inter and intra issues which could degenerate into religious conflicts are resolved.
By Abdul Mannan