The Graduates and Professionals of Ga-Dangme (GPGD) have held their maiden in-person meeting and forum with a call on Ga-Dangme people to unite and be committed to promoting their interests.
The theme for the meeting was ‘Embracing Unity: Ga-Dangme Graduates and Professionals forge ahead.’
Mr Emmanuel Obodai, the President of the Graduates and Professionals of Ga-Dangme, said the group’s aim was to unite its members to affect the anticipating change by the people over the years.
Mr Obodai said with over 426 members ranging from those with doctorate to higher national diploma (HND) holders, they had built a workforce pool that could be relied on by sectors of the country.
‘This diverse membership represents a wealth of talent and expertise that we can leverage to drive positive change in our community. Each member brings something valuable to the table, that is, specialised knowledge, professional skills, or a unique perspective,’ he stated.
He said to achieve this, there was a need for a little effort a
nd commitment from members and all Ga-Dangmes, as they had the power to make a tremendous impact and restore their community to its rightful position of prominence and prosperity.
He called on natives in high positions to engage the people actively in employment opportunities and nurture their talent, while urging traditional leaders and politicians of Ga-Dangme descent to change the narrative by supporting their people to acquire higher learning levels and secure decent job opportunities.
Mr Ayikoi Otoo, a former Attorney General and president of the Ga-Dangme Council, commended the graduates for coming together to find solutions to the issues bedeviling the community and position the tribe in its rightful position.
Mr Otoo said unity had been a big problem among Ga-Dangmes both in politics and traditional settings, saying it was worrying to see one community having more than one chief due to disunity among the king makers.
He stressed that ‘it is also worrying us in our politics; we are dividing ourselv
es with it; siblings and relatives are fighting each other because of the political parties they belong to, while they do not get any positions from it.’
Mr Otoo stated when majority of the people were educated, it helped in alleviating some of these problems, and urged the GPGD members to remain as shining examples to others in their communities.
‘When there is unity and one voice among the Ga-Dangmes, they will be a force to be reckoned with, and their opinions will be sought on national issues and beyond,’ he said.
Nene Ogah Osuagbo I, Chief of Great Ametafor in the Osudoku Traditional Area, chairing the meeting, called for the branding of the culture and traditions of the Ga-Dangme people to attract tourists into the area and turn it into revenue-generating activities.
Nene Osuagbo said branding the culture for tourism is the ultimate for poverty eradication, explaining that now communal resources were no longer in place in the communities as they used to be, therefore the need to consciously create
some.
He encouraged them to engage in politics to the highest level, stating that it is political power that has taken over all the lands of the Ga-Dangmes; therefore, their failure to go into it would deprive their communities of their rightful inheritance.
He said politics and policies were something that people must not run away from, because it was what society dwelt on for decision making in every aspect of life including financial and developmental issues.
Source: Ghana News Agency