Chiefs and Imams in the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi have begun a campaign to fight against illicit drugs, vigilantism and other forms of vices in the Zongo communities.
Imams at various mosques’ have also joined the campaign by using their podiums to preach against the acts during each sermon to their congregations.
The Zongo Communities are mostly the densely populated areas in Ghana with predominantly Muslims as inhabitants.
Opinion leaders in these communities are often worried about the negative stereotyping of people living there especially on issues of crime.
The leadership of the communities is also not happy about how youth in these areas abuse drugs and are always the target for some politicians who recruit them for their parochial political interests.
The leadership of the Zongo Communities said it will continue to wage a relentlessness war against the menace until the battle is won.
These pledges were made at a Conference of the Zongo Leadership against illicit drugs and vigilantism in Kumasi which was on the theme ‘The Role of Zongo Chiefs, Imams and Ullama(Muslim Clerics).’
It brought together chiefs, imams from the Tijanniya and Ahlul-Sunna sects to brainstorm on a solution to illicit drugs and vigilantism in the Zongo communities.
The chiefs and imams say they have now buried their differences in terms of various Islamic sects and are united to fight a common enemy.
Deputy National Imam of the Ahlul-Sunna, Sheik Mohammed Kamil said the leadership of the Zongo communities will not sit unconcern to allow such vices to continue in those communities.
According to him, God will judge leaders of these communities hereafter if they fail to speak against the ills of society.
He indicated that the maiden conference was part of measures to wage war against drug abuse amongst the youth in the Zongo communities and vigilantism in the Zongo communities.
Chairman of the Ashanti Regional Education Unit, Sheik Bawah Osman Hafiz Olando said the Zongo community in Ghana has lost its focus and direction because indigenes living in such areas have no excuse not to live a righteous lifestyle since the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) have always preached on morally upright behavior.
He advised youth in the Zongo communities to focus on their education since that can contribute towards the eradication of such negative vices.
Don’t beg for criminals when they arrested
Executive Secretary of Ashanti Regional Secretary Peace Council, Reverend Amoah Badu-Emmanuel called for more women participation in such conferences since they play a major role in the upbringing of children.
He thus urged leaders in the Zongo communities to always allow the laws to deal with persons who perpetrate crimes and must not interfere in the work of the police by going in to beg for their release when they are arrested.
“The first thing I would urge my brothers who have come together is they themselves being the source of the problem. The reason is that, many religious people go undercover to plead for some criminals when the laws are supposed to work”, he stressed
Reverend Badu-Emmanuel also called on the law enforcement agencies not to allow political and religious actors to interfere in their work when they are discharging their duties.
Inner Cities and Zongo Development Minister, Mustapha Hamid blames happenings in the Zongo communities on ignorance.
He said the time has come for the Zongo communities to rise against acts that put the name of those communities into disrepute.
“Really and truly, if you look at all the problems that we face in our Zongo communities, I think that at the base of that matter is ignorance. So if we wipe out ignorance, we put back our young people on the path of education, on the path of training and so on, then we will not be the ones that are always carrying the bad names and everything in our country that when they arrest seven armed robbers anywhere in Ghana whether it is in Ho or Bolga or wherever you can guarantee that at least four or five will bear Muslim names.”
“Forget it even if they don’t pray five times a day, but once the names are published and people see that one is Abubakar, one is Alhassan and one is Mohammed it will not matter to people whether they pray five times a day or they fast in the month of Ramadan, it will be enough to say that these people are youth from Zongo community,” he said.
Mr. Abdul-Hamid called for greater collaboration to wipe out this menace in the Zongo communities.
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By: Hafiz Tijani | citinewsroom.com | Ghana