The 2024 Zekula Festival has been held by the Chiefs and people of the Bissa ethnic group in Ghana, with a huge turnout traveling from far and near to participate in the 20th anniversary of the prestigious homecoming event.
The festival, which takes place annually at the capital, Kulungungu, brought together the Bissa community from Ghana and neighboring countries, including Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, and the Ivory Coast.
Dubbed “Zekula@20,” this year’s celebration was themed “Two decades of celebrating Zekula: Our Achievement, Challenges and way forward,” and was attended by a large crowd of people from all walks of life.
It featured a range of activities including traditional dancing, music, horse riding, and a grand durbar of chiefs, cementing its status as the biggest festival in the Upper East region.
And amid the merry, the Bissas were reminded of the significance of Zekula with a call on all to be part of the unity-building process.
In his address, Lawyer Shaibu Musah Gutare Zanni Esq, Chairman of the Bissa Development Association (BDA), emphasized the importance of unity and strength in the development of the community:
“The word ‘Zekula’ in the Bissa language means unity,” he said. “The founding fathers instituted it as the Bissa National festival celebrated annually in our capital here in Kulungungu.
“It is aimed at bringing Bissas and indeed, our neighbors and friends in Ghana and beyond together, to celebrate our traditions, cultural heritage and forge ahead for our common development.
“As a people, we remain forever indebted to the founding fathers and mothers of Zekula for having conceived and worked hard towards establishing a national festival for Bissa.”
He highlighted the progress made over the past 20 years and encouraged the youth to take an active role in shaping the future of the community.
Since taking over the leadership of the BDA in March 2021, the Gutare administration had made efforts to ensure Bissas played a role in the restoration of peace in the Bawku Municipality, and Saturday’s event provided another platform to continue calling for peace between the warring factions – Mamprusis and Kusasis.
While commending the Government for its efforts towards peace in Bawku, the Chairman also urged the rest of the people to continue supporting the peace process, which has stalled progress in the area.
“It is our humble appeal that we should all continue to support the peace process, for we owe it a duty to our generations yet unborn, to welcome them into a peaceful and prosperous Bawku,” he said.
Among the dignitaries who graced the occasion were the Burkina Diasporan King of Bissas, His Royal Highness, Capitaine D’jenjere, the Upper East Regional Chief Imam, Hafiz Bin Salih, the Member of Parliament for Pusiga Constituency, Laadi Ayii Ayamba, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Buffer Stock Company Limited who is contesting the Pusiga Constituency parliamentary seat, Alhaji Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba.
The festival was instituted in 2004 by the Bissa Development Association (BDA) as a homecoming event for Bissas of Ghana, and has since lived up to the billing, attract Bissas and other people from across the world.
Musical performances from artistes like Striker Dedonzy, Star Gyal, and others added a colorful touch to the festival, which has remained the trump card for Bissas of Ghana for the past two decades.
Saturday’s event bore all the hallmarks of a great festival as it brought the Kulungungu township to a standstill, while food vendors and sellers of other products cashed in, taking advantage of the large turnout.
The 2024 Zekula Festival was a resounding success, marking two decades of unity, strength, and progress for the Bissa community. It served as a reminder of the importance of preserving cultural heritage and promoting community development.