This is our Beloved Son in whom we are well pleased. These were the loud pronouncements of the Chiefs and People of the Takpo Traditional Area in the Upper West Region, when they organised a grand durbar for the coronation of Rt. Hon. Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin as the Tengmaal Naa ( Development Chief) of the Takpo Traditional Area.
The durbar that was held at the forecourt of the Takpo Traditional Council, drew together well meaning sons and daughters from the nooks and crannies of the Upper West Region.
Noticeable in the gathering were Paramount Chiefs and Queen Mothers from various paramountcies, sons and daughters from the Takpo Traditional Council, all the eight (8) NDC Members of Parliament from the Upper West Region, led by their Caucus Leader ( Hon.Prince Alhaji Dr. Rashid Hassan Pelpuo- Wa Central.), the DCE for the Nadowli Kaleo District ( Hon. Cathrine Lankono Tieyiri),a cross section of NDC Regional Executive Committee Members, some former Regional Executive Committee Members, the Upper West Regional Cadre Front, Constituency Executive Committee Members from various Constituencies, some NPP Constituency Executive Members, PNC Executive Committee Members, a retinue of Chiefs from Burkina Faso, a legion of Party Supporters in the Upper West Region and a host of well wishers of the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament.
In outdooring the newly coronated Chief, The President of the Takpo Traditional Council, Naa Widaana Nanga ii eulogised the impeccable record of the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament in his 28 years of representing the People of Nadowli Kaleo in the Parliament of Ghana and his 2 and halve years of serving so far as Speaker of Parliament. He described the Speaker as a man of Compassion, courage, goodwill and fortitude, who never relented and rendering selfless service to his people.
Naa Nanga reiterated that, Speaker Bagbin's longevity in Parliament was occasioned by the invaluable service he rendered to his People, without discrimination. His passion for education, provision of health infrastructure, road projects, water projects, rural electrification and direct human resource development has been impeccable. Naa Nanga thanked the Rt. Hon. Speaker Bagbin for accepting to serve his people once again in this capacity as a Traditional Ruler. He Congratulated him for rising to the zenith of the legislative arm of government and prayed with fervent hope that, he will eventually hit the number one position in the not too distant future.
Taking turns to eulogise Sungmaali Naa Bagbin, The Sombo Naa, Poet Guonaa Francis and a local artist Sampson B all reiterated the fact that, Rt. Hon. Speaker Bagbin was a priceless pearl whose kind is yet to be seen in the Upper West Region.
The Hon. DCE for Nadowli Kaleo District, Hon. Catherine Lankono took the stage to thank the President of the Takpo Traditional Council and his elders for bringing such an honour to a Worthy Son of the Land. She counted a litany of Development interventions initiated by Hon. Speaker for which he shall forever be remembered.
In their congratulatory speech, a retinue of Chiefs and elders who came from the Burkina Faso expressed their joy in coming into contact with a man whose legendary works in human development is so conspicuous for all to see. They appealed to the Rt. Hon. Speaker to facilitate the construction of a bridge over the black volta to ease transportation between the Burkinabes and their kinsmen in Ghana.
Flanked by his beautiful wife (Mrs Alice Adjoa Yonas Bagbin) and a retinue of Chiefs, Mba Tinmaalinaah Sunniyongmaaluu Sunmaalinaah Bagbin, expressed his sincere appreciation for this honour done him. He thanked the people of Takpo Traditional Area, the Nadowli Kaleo Constituency and the Chiefs and People of the Upper West Region, for supporting him and keeping faith with him all these years of service in the country's legislature.
He expressed faith in the human resource base of the Upper West Region and was hopeful that, the region still has so much to contribute to the development of the country. Speaker Bagbin called on the good people of the region, to leverage on the potentials of politics as a fulcrum for development, rather than dwelling on our dissenting political opinions as a course for division and disunity.
He underscored that, it is the relentless support of the people from his Constituency and the Upper West Region that has brought him thus far as Speaker to Ghana's Parliament, Head of Commonwealth Parliament and President of the Heads and Leaders of the African Parliaments. He expressed his sincere appreciation and pledged to do his best for the development of the people. He donated a sum of one hundred thousand Ghana Cedis, and a modern sound system to support the Takpo Traditional Council.
The sages have always had it that, the face is the mirror of the heart. The beaming smiles and the conspicuous joy that bubbled among participants consummated the joy of the day.
Citizen Puo-ire reporting from Takpo
