By Dauda Abdul Salam Bandaogo
Kaadomeleki fellow kinsmen and women. I sincerely share in the frustration of my brothers and sisters who have so far expressed unhappiness about the cancellation of Zekula 2022. I believe there are other groups or individuals who felt the same level of frustration if not worse.
I want to however, state that we the current National Executives Committee of BDA (NEC) will prefer to be called cowards in safe guarding the precious lives of Bissas rather than be glorified in bravery at the expense of the precious lives of Bissas. Bravery is only justified when it is used to protect an existential threat or right. No amount of bravery will bring back any Bissa lives that may be lost whiles on their way to or from Zekula. In the words of Bob Marley “a person who fight and run away lives to fight another day” for a much justified cause (emphasis mine).
The claim that “Zekula is dead” is not supported by any fact. History has taught us that for example, the Damba festival of the Dagonbas was cancelled for almost two decades due to lack of peace in Dagbon. After restoring peace, they now celebrate it in grand style.
I want to use this opportunity to encourage and appeal to all Bissas to use their passion for ZEKULA to help the NEC in the ongoing reorganisation of BDA from Zonal, Regional to the National levels, as this is the bed rock of Bissa development.
Let’s pause for a second and consider BDA as a tree 🌳. Zekula is just one sweet fruit 🍎 from the tree. Whereas a wild wind can blow off the fruits in some years before they fully mature, beneficiaries of the tree, though feel sad, are consoled with the fact that the tree lives to bear fruits the following year.
Unfortunately in the case of today’s Bissa, he is so much concerned about this single fruit that he has refused to see the bigger threat of the whirlwind uprooting the tree entirely because it lacks proper roots and adequate soil to protect the roots.
If we were to know the dangers that await us if the BDA tree 🌳 falls, perhaps we will all do more to protect the tree and not cry over a seasonal fruit.
The best way to protect the tree and by extension, it’s fruits, is to collectively work harder to establish very strong structures/roots that can resist the whirlwind and other elements of nature.
May God/Allah help every Bissa to rise and protect the tree rather than cry over the fruits.
Bissa Wooo, Bissam
Zekula Npanga
Oyaadabarika
The writer Dauda Abdul Salam Bandaogo is the Vice Chairman of the Bissa Development Association (BDA)
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