N/R Minister Joins Yaa-Naa Abukari to Celebrate Fire Festival

By Yakubu Abdu-Majeed

Yendi — The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Salifu Saeed, on Monday joined the king of Dagbon, Yaa-Naa Mahama Abukari, at the Gbewaa Palace in Yendi, in the region, to celebrate the annual fire "Buhum" festival.

As early as 6 pm Monday night, a large crowd that had thronged the Gbewaa Palace, went into wide jubilation when Yaa-Naa Abukari and the Regional Minister emerged from the palace to join them in the celebration.

The Buhum festival was being celebrated for the first time by the new king of Dagbon, nearly 17 years after the murder of the late Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani, in 2002.

The Yendi Municipal Security Committee (MUSEC) and Northern Regional Security Council (REGSEC) have consistently banned celebration of the fire festival since the unfortunate incident there.

A celebrant, Sadick Latif, in an interview with the Ghanaian Times said, "For over 17 years, we did not celebrate fire festival. We are happy because we are celebrating the fire festival with our king, Yaa-Naa Mahama Abukari. With the restoration of peace in Dagbon, the Ya-Na led the people of Dagbon to light up their thatch for the celebration of the fire festival at the Gbewa palace in Yendi."

He said "we are thankful to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for his effort in finding a lasting solution to the protracted chieftaincy crisis".

The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Salifu Saeed, who was so elated about the peaceful manner in which the Buhum festival was celebrated, commended the people for the unity as the event passed without any incident.

He said that the peaceful celebration of the fire festival was a clear indication that there was peace in the area.

Mr Saeed said he was optimistic that the peace in Dagbon would be sustained and that Dagbon would witness massive developmental projects across the region under the Akufo-Addo - led administration.

The minister appealed to investors to invest in the region, and asked the people to take advantage of the vast land and go into farming.

The fire festival is celebrated by most of northern communities in the first month of the Dagomba lunar year, as well as the fire month celebrated on the ninth day of the month.

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