Pots of pito, fugu galore
Call it a cultural bazaar and you would not be far from right. It was culture at its best last weekend at the El Wak Sports Stadium in Accra as natives of the northern extract turned up in their numbers to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the annual Dagaaba-Frafra friendly fun games.
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It was, indeed, a display of an authentic northern culture as patrons of the event were not only treated to beautiful games and northern dance; they were also fed with northern food and drinks such as kose, pito, tuo zaafi, green leaves and topani, pito among others.
As was to be expected, it was an all fugu affair, as the people wore all shades, colours, sizes and designs of the dress to the programme.
One other thing that would not miss the attention of an observer attending the function was the performance of the various energy-sapping cultural troupes from the two ethnic groups.
But what created fun and excitement was when a puppy was brought in to perform alongside one of the Dagaaba cultural troupes. The well-trained puppy knew the movement of the dance and could follow the exact instructions of its trainer.
But for a puppy to perform at such a gathering has its own significance. The two ethnic groups are two long-standing playmates, with their common symbol of play as a dog. No wonder every year, a puppy is presented as the trophy for the winning team at the end of the games.
For many, the annual games create a platform for them to meet old friends over a pot of pito and a plate of spicy dog meat, while others would not want to miss their moringa and other green leaves they had missed while living down south.
It also serves as a rendezvous for “brothers and sisters”, who, by virtue of their busy schedules in Accra, often find it difficult to meet. It is not uncommon to see them hugging each other, shaking hands and generally chatting over a calabash of pito.
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In the view of a Member of the Council of State, Sir Dr Edward Gyader, the games should not be restricted to only Accra, but decentralised to the regional and district levels to engender peace and promote development for not just the benefit of the two ethnic groups, but for the entire country.
Closing the two-day bazaar, the Interior Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo, advocated the institution of inter-ethnic games to promote peaceful co-existence in the country, which, he said, would also bring about development.
He believed such games could foster unity and co-existence instead of the current inter-ethnic conflicts and tension in some parts of the country, thereby retarding development and progress.
Mr Woyongo said there was the need for all to cultivate the culture of tolerance, patience and mutual understanding, reminding the large gathering that, “all these would contribute to the peace and development that we are all yearning for.”
The games also serve as an occasion for the people in the two regions to seek answers from the government on ways of addressing developmental challenges facing them as was ably captured in a welcome address of the Chief of Baare in the Upper East Region, Naab Nyaakora Mantii.
He appealed to the President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, to ensure that areas in the two regions not covered by the rural electrification were adequately catered for.
On youth unemployment, Naab Mantii expressed concern over the growing youth unemployment, especially those from the three regions in northern Ghana, and appealed to the government to create job opportunities to stop the rural-urban migration of the youth in search of non-existing jobs.