The new era of Bimbilla: steps after the supreme court verdict

All has been said, all has been seen, all has been done and what does this mean for our mother land Nanung? In reply to this, someone told me that “hey! Kannde this is a trillion dollar question”. I found it funny but indeed for any person who has lived in Nanung in the course of this period would say the same thing. Confusion, sadness, happiness, anger, regret, hope are the emotions that are mixed together today in the Small glorious town of Bimbilla but there is one thing that is missing in all these and that is satisfaction.

_{The two reagents and their council of elders}

In the words of Neville Chamberlain I will state that “In war, whichever side may call itself the victor, there are no winners, but all are losers.”. This is what has happened and this is why no one can feel true satisfaction. Let’s cast our minds back and look at what we have lost as a people in terms of dignity and in terms of pride, lets look at our self image now. At this point I will like you to pause reading this article and type ‘Bimbilla’ in google search engine and tell me what you find then you can come back to continue with what I have to say.

That is exactly what our haters want to see when Bimbilla is mentioned yet again we are the players in that game. We are the tools used in our own destruction and it is sad how far we have allowed this to come.

Now let’s look at what we have lost in terms of lives and properties, in terms of growth, in terms of progress, in terms of safety. Can we even count the number of people who’s blood have been spilled directly due to this conflict? How about those who suffered and died from heart related complications triggered by this, can we estimate the number? The wise men of the land who have passed on since the dawn of this infelicitous issue, can we count?

The bottom line is, we have lost so much that we can’t even estimate our losses. People have left the land and others are leaving, all because we can’t stand together. How many of our graduates will be ready to come back and work for the land? How many bright students have Nanung sponsored to read course for the agenda of Nanung’s prosperity? Do we even have an agenda as a people? Who controls our public institutions or better still, who keeps check? How do we measure our progress and how do we control it?

The questions above only makes the heart of a true son to bleed more looking at the magnitude of intellectuals that bear the blood of the land. For the true sons, you all know there is a lot that can’t be said here because they qualify as ‘internal’ matters.

Now that we have the picture of what we have lost in the span of the last 15+ years let’s look to the future. Allah Says in Surah Baqarah that “no soul does Allah places a burden greater than it can bear”. This is not more than we can handle as a people if we are ready to. This is a test from God and we must be ready to pass it and move ahead else we will perish here and probably here after (May Allah forbid).

Yesterday as I mentioned in my last article was a pivot in the history of this crisis and what happens next is purely our responsibility. When I saw the title of the report on Ghana web “Supreme Court declares Dasana family rightful Bimbilla rulers”, I was just asking myself, is that not the same family to start with?

In any case involving two factions, there is always the ‘winner’ and the ‘loser’ when judgement is made but that definition largely depends on the perspective at which it is viewed. The fact however is that we cannot do this forever. There are real issues we need to take care of as a kingdom if indeed we wish to prevail. I followed the interview with the leaders of both factions and they all spoke of peace and now is the time to prove it.

What is the next step to take as a people after the supreme court verdict?
Before I say anything I will like to state that I am only but a child and I have not even had the opportunity to read the details of the verdict. Whatever I say here is therefore just an opinion which in I think may do as good as a people.

I was particularly happy hearing that the Dasana family did not engage in activities that will provoke the other faction and I hope that it stays that way. A ruler is only a ruler if there is a land to rule over. I think it is imperative that the Naa Andani Dasana family try to understand the feelings of the Naa Salifu family by extending a foot into their shoes. It is not easy on the heart after 15 years of hard struggle. We need to be kind to each other at this point and avoid utterances that seeks to provoke rather than calm others.

I also think that we do not have to wait any longer for the devil finds work for the idle hands. I think this is the time for the elders of the land to sit together, review the options and ways to move forward. It will be a huge loss if this sacrifices go for nothing. Let’s make it serve as a lesson and a song we will never play again. We need to take a deeper look at our traditions and make stronger documentations in this regard so as to prevent this from occurring again in the future. The pass is passed so lets focus on the present and the road ahead.

I think irrespective of the details in the verdict we need to sit together and draw a plan of action with regard to the necessary rights to be done and the subsequent installment of the next ruler. I think we need to do this with all urgency and good will if we want to really move away from this.

Our hospitals need work, our roads, our markets, our entire land needs so much work and instead of spending huge amounts of resources on security let’s give a chance for peace. Let’s go back to the grounds and work up, lets build our broken bridges.

I was so happy when the Naa Salifu Family said they were accepting the verdict but with heavy hearts. I was happy because I am convinced that this is the way to go, this is the future to make and this is the way to erase this unfortunate history. This should not be taken as a lost but a means to forge ahead. As a people of honor, this is the time to show it. This is the time for us to stand together again our land and prove our doubters wrong.

I know people were expecting chaos after the verdict but the town has been quiet and that is a sign that we are tired. We need to rebuild and we are going to do just that. In anything we do from now we should look at the end game, what do we intend to achieve?

This is the ultimate sacrifice and we must be resolute in making it;
To my fathers and mothers, if your son wants to take up violence, this is the time to calm him and teach him the ways of the wise. This time to show wisdom and true love for the land.

To my fellow youth, this is the time to think of our future, this is the time to think of ways to reclaim our lost image and work towards a prosperous land. This is the time to make our land great again, enough to want to be home. This is the time to collaborate and build ourselves through the collective contribution. This is the time to come back together and ask our great leaders to help us. To help us not by buying guns, not buy contributing to waste on courts, not to waste on security but to spend on our future. This is the time we need to come together and set achievable time bound targets for the growth of the land. let’s think about entrepreneurship, let’s think about education, let us think about the opportunities we have as a people.

Where is the Nanumber Youth Association? Where is the vibrant Nanumba Student’s Union? This is the time to be active again. Let’s throw this chieftaincy issues to the chiefs and royals to handle and rather look to our future. We work together to take our land out of mediocrity and into the light so the sons can once again knock their chest and say ” I am a proud son of Naa Gmantambu”.

To the outsider, you have watched us fight for a while now, you have laughed, you have pointed fingers and you have said demeaning words. We can’t blame you because we would probably have done the same in your shoes. We gave you the reason to laugh at out heritage. We belittled ourselves by fighting right in the public. We fought and revealed our nakedness to you so you could measure the size of our manhood. You probably pretended to have a side and you cheered just so the fight could continue probably as a source of entertainment to you. We killed each other so you could have something to write about. We insulted each other so you could know our weaknesses.

Now the show is over, the fight is done, the cloths are back on, the opened closet is closed. We say to you now, that you have had your delight and that is enough. We are down but wait for our rise! Wait for the awakened kingdom that has slept on for years. We know you are still watching and thinking to yourself when the next the fight will be back on. We have learnt a great deal and we shall not make a fool of ourselves any longer. We are standing together as true sons. The royals will handle their royal issues the royal way and we will handle our personal issues our way. We will forge a new Nanung and we will rebuild from scratch. We were nothing and came to be so watch us as we grow back our lost limbs.

Nanung must rise again, Nanung must move ahead, Nanung must forgive itself for no one can forgive us. Lets make efforts to say our apologies to each other and move on. Let’s begin to see who wants us and who want our destruction and avoid the later. Long live Nanung, Long live the sons daughters of the land. Peace!