By Emmanuel Agyemfra Boateng
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”-Martin Luther King jnr
I read on Northerngh.com about the Birthday gift from the Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Limuna Mohammed-Muniru to the Muslim Community in Damango.He donated a Hearse worth GHC35, 000.00 and an additional GHC1, 000.00 for the maintenance of the Hearse.
It was his birthday and whatever gift he presented to the community would’ve been his own cup of tea but as a well wisher of Damongo and a citizen of Ghana, I humbly ask if truly the Muslim community in Damongo had no other pressing issues that could’ve been solved with the GHC45,000.00 than the hearse?
GHC45,000.00 could’ve been used as a seed capital for a Scholarship scheme to help Needy but Brilliant students who can’t continue to the second cycle simply because their parents can’t afford admission fees.
The Damongo Muslim community have pertinent problems that need immediate attention more than a hearse. Please I’m not in any way saying the dead shouldn’t be catered for, but as it stands, no son or daughter of the Damongo Muslim community will tell me all is well with the community and that the hearse, was the last thing they were waiting for!
The District Chief Executive of West Gonja, Mr.Ali Bakari Kassim endorsed the kind gesture from his boss and thanked him for coming to the aid of the community at the right time!i was taken aback when I read that. Well meaning sons and daughters of Damongo would’ve bought a Hearse on their own if it was the number one on their scale of preference.
I am not in any way against the birthday gift from the Honorable Northern Regional Minister, but my problem is with the timing! I know for sure some youth in the Muslim Community are jobless, others are done with their artisanary training and needs to set up,JHS graduates are wondering with their parents to get money for admissions.
There is one thing I admire about Muslims and that is the way they save money resources when a love one departs. No mortuary fees, no casket cost and other throat cutting funeral costs which is rare with the Christian community.
I humbly plead with the leaders of the Muslim Community in Damongo,sons and daughters of the Muslim community and well wishers of Damongo to tell the Honourable Regional Minister that, the people of Damongo Muslim Community have a scale of Preference,so whenever he is celebrating his birthday and he wants to dash the community he should please ask or check from their Scale of Preference.
You can contact the writer on 0249542342/0508609109.