Speaker Bagbin cuts sod for Wa Naa Palace Meeting Hall

The Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, on Saturday, June 6, 2026, performed a sod-cutting ceremony to commence the construction of a modern meeting hall within the Wa Naa Palace, marking the first phase of what he described as a "transgenerational" effort to uplift the seat of the Wala Kingdom's heritage.

The ceremony, held at the behest of the Overlord of the Wala Traditional Area, Naa Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo IV, was attended by various paramount chiefs, paramount queen mothers from the four gates of the Wala Traditional Council, divisional and sub-divisional chiefs and queen mothers, ministers of state, members of parliament, municipal and district chief executives, imams, and party executives from across the political divide.

Speaker Bagbin used the occasion to address critics who had questioned the seriousness of his SheaPark Industrial Resource Hub initiative, launched by President John Dramani Mahama on January 31, 2026. He reminded the gathering that he had pledged not to leave the project as an "expensive outdooring ceremony" with an abandoned child, and pointed to Friday's groundbreaking as proof of his commitment.

"To the doubting Thomases, here we are today! Four months after the launch, we are breaking ground to commence the construction of the first phase of this project. This giant step must signal to all that we indeed mean business," the Speaker declared.

"I emphasised I meant business. I also dispelled fears that I was giving empty political promises which would remain on the drawing board in perpetuity," the Speaker said, adding that the project's consultant, Professor Kwame Addo, had given assurances that construction could be completed within months, potentially in time for this year's Dumba Festival.

'The visitor who brings development'

Invoking a local proverb, "Saanang maala yiri" – translated as "it is the visitor who brings development" – the Speaker framed the palace project within a broader economic vision: making Wa an attractive gateway city for investors coming to the Upper West Region. He noted that investors must first pay homage to traditional owners of the land before any business can begin, making a befitting reception space at the Wa Naa Palace indispensable.

"Since no visitor walks into a house and gets handed keys to a room without first seeing the landlord and negotiating terms with him, investors who visit the region must first pay homage to the traditional owners of the area," he explained.

Preserving historic architecture

The Speaker moved to address concerns raised at the conceptualisation stage about the project potentially defacing the palace's original architecture. He was emphatic that the construction would preserve the historic Sudanese architectural style of the palace, stressing that ongoing efforts to have the palace recognised by UNESCO as a world heritage site remained central to the project's design brief.

"The current construction will not demolish or vary the original Sudanese architecture. The design preserves the palace in its original form," he assured.

Bagbin also noted the historical significance of the moment, describing the redevelopment as only the second major facelift to the palace since its construction over five centuries ago, the first having taken place in the 1920s.

"This is not a mean achievement, and we all must pat ourselves on the back," he said, insisting the project belonged to the entire Wala Traditional Area, not any individual or faction.

Warning against conflict

In a clear warning to all parties, the Speaker cautioned against any disputes that could derail the project, calling conflict the "scarecrow which drives away investors."

"Conflict is the worst enemy of development, the scarecrow which drives away investors. I want to see this project cement further our unity as one people," he said.

He expressed confidence, however, that the traditional conflict resolution skills of the region's chiefs and elders would prevent any disagreement from threatening the project's progress.

Acknowledgements

Speaker Bagbin reserved special praise for the Member of Parliament for Wa Central and Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment, Dr Hassan Rashid Pelpuo, whom he described as having "footed much of the expenses" for the ceremony and having patriotically supported the project from its formulation through to implementation.

He also thanked Professor Kwame Addo, the SheaPark Resource Hub Ambassador Pognaa Salma Chaana Abdul-Razak, and all members of the planning committee for making the event possible.