The Municipal Chief Imam of Konongo in the Asante Akim Central Municipality, Alhaji Mahamadou Mustapha has described as “historic”, Vice-President Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s visit and worship with Muslims at the Konongo Central Mosque.

Speaking on behalf of the Imam, Mr Ade Adeoye, Secretary to the Council of Zongo Chiefs in the Asante Akim Central Municipality, said such a high calibre visit to Asante Akim Zongo “has not happened in over 100 years.
Since the inception of this Zongo over 100 years ago, from Gold Coast days, through Kwame Nkrumah’s time till date, we have never been visited by either a President or a Vice-President. Some of us are third and fourth generation dwellers of Asante Akim Zongo, and we have never seen this before. This is very historic.”

Mr Adeoye said this at Konongo when Dr Bawumia joined the Muslim faithful to pray at the Konongo Central Mosque on Wednesday, 23 May 2019, as part of his nationwide Ramadan tour. Earlier in the day, the Vice-President performed Zuhr prayers at the Ahmadiyya mosque at Asafo, Kumasi and performed Asr prayers at the Ejisu central mosque.

Describing the Asante Akim Central Zongo as the second-largest in the Ashanti Region, Alhaji Mustapha expressed delight that their first high profile visitor was not an ordinary person, but a brother Muslim.

“What is even more remarkable about this visit is that the visitor is not just any person, but our brother in the faith who has come to visit us. We know that you have a busy schedule, but you still found time to come and visit us. We are so delighted, and grateful for your visit,” Mr Adeoye stated.

“I know that in years to come, 15 to 20 years from now, people will date events like birthdays to your visit, asking each other: ‘Did it happen before or after Dr Bawumia visited us?’, ‘Were you born at the time?’, ‘How old were you?’; This is very historic, and we appreciate this visit.’”

The Konongo Zongo Chief commended Dr Bawumia for his constant push for zongo youth to acquire knowledge, saying, it was in line with the Prophet Muhammad (SAW’s) admonition to all Muslims to seek knowledge wherever it might be. Alhaji Mustapha also had high praise for the Akufo-Addo-led government’s initiatives to improve lives in Zongo communities across the country, noting that, it was the first time programmes and policies such as the Zongo Development Fund had been specifically targeted at the Zongo community.

For his part, Dr Bawumia urged Muslim faithful to continue praying for the nation, especially in this holy month of Ramadan. “I also want to urge you to continue living in peace with your brothers and sisters of other faiths, as we all work together to achieve the growth and prosperity we seek for Ghana,” he said.

Dr Bawumia was accompanied by the Deputy Ashanti regional Minister, Ms Elizabeth Agyemang; National Nasara Coordinator of the NPP, Alhaji Aziz Haruna Futa; MP for Asante Akim Central, Mr Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi; MP for Offinso South, Mr Ben Abdallah Banda; the Registrar of the Pharmacy Council, Pharm (Dr) Audu Rauf; and Mr Kofi Ofosu Nkansah, Chief Executive Officer of the Accra Digital Centre; and officials of the Zongo Development Fund.

The Vice-President also paid courtesy calls on the Paramount Chief of Ejisu Traditional Area, Nana Afrane Okese IV, and the chief of Konongo, Nana Batafo Acheampong Nti.