The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Marhaba FM in Accra,
Alhaji Baba Sheriff Abdullai has said that the contribution of the Hausa
language to Ghana’s development cannot be relegated to the background.
According to him, Ghana is the second leading Hausa-speaking
country in West Africa after Nigeria making the language an important tool for
communicating government policies and programmes.
Alhaji Abdullai made this statement in Accra last Monday,
August 22, 2022, during the launch of this year’s ‘World Hausa Day’ under the
theme ‘Hausa an Indispensable Tool for Ghana’s Development.’
He noted that the Hausa language has been used to
communicate major government policies and programmes in various communities
across the country.
He said it is high time the government of Ghana through the
Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service adopt the Hausa language for
teaching in schools to ensure more Ghanaians can write and speak.
“Do you know that some time back, enlistment in the Ghana
Army required the speaking of Hausa, so if we say the language has not
contributed to Ghana’s development you should understand?,” Alhaji Abdullai
stated
Reacting to the conception that Muslims are only noted for
violence and crimes, Marhaba CEO said the various Zongos have paid their dues
in the development of Ghana and it is unfortunate that people go to commit
crimes and prefer to use Muslim names to create a bad impression for the
people.
He added that the launch of World Hausa Day will help change
the narrative associated with Muslim youth in the country to a better story in
the coming years.
The event, which was organised by the Hausa Youth of Ghana
is aimed at bringing all the Hausa-speaking communities and tribes up to speed
with development in relation to education.
The chairman of the occasion and Youth Chief of the Zongo
Community in Ghana, Alhaji Salisu Maude appealed to the government and the
Tourism Ministry to develop the language because it has at least over 600
million population in Africa that speak it.
