Bawumia Assures Ga-Mantse: Ga Language Will Be Taught In Accra Schools

It would be costly for the Ga and Dangbe languages to go extinct therefore there is the need to ensure they are taught in all schools situated within the Ga and Dangbe jurisdiction, Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has noted.

Dr. Bawumia, in an interaction with the Ga Mantse, His Royal Highness, Nii Teiko Tsuru II and members of the Ga Traditional Council last week said Accra, being the country’s capital, has become a cocktail of cultures and languages across the country, and now almost dwarfing the indigenous Ga language.

This coupled with the challenges of the Ga language not being taught in some schools situated within the Region has become a threat to the sustenance of the language; a situation that needs an urgent solution.

“The language is also another problem because as you can see, most of us who are here can survive without speaking Ga and that leads to a decline in the language so we have to make sure that Ga is taught in our schools to protect the language otherwise it is going to be very costly”, Dr. Bawumia noted.

The Vice President also mentioned the challenges of land ownership in Accra: “the Ga State holds the capital of Ghana and because of that the rest of Ghana is here but that has implications for the Ga State which we have to take account of in policy. It has implications because land becomes a problem. That is an issue and the demand for land here in Accra is much higher than anywhere else in the country which means indigenes do not get access to affordable land.

“…There are a lot of issues of land that the Ga State has with the government and we have to resolve these issues and I am going to promise you that as President, I am going to sit down with you to resolve these issues in your favour,” Dr. Bawumia noted.

The Ga Mantse, in his response to the address by Dr. Bawumia was categorical and straight in his request that the existing bylaws of the Ghana Education Service (GES) that schools must allow the indigenes of the places they are situated learn their mother tongue ought to be enforced.

Nii Ga was very clear in his response to the Vice President: “We believe that our ethnicity is dyeing and our language is almost erased like you rightly said. Solutions to enforce the GES bylaws that Ga and Dangbe is taught in this locality in on you. You have promised it; if you have the nod, we want to see the Ga and Dangbe taught in every classroom on Ga and Dangbe land.”

The Ga Mantse said he was welcome to any collaborative effort between government and the Ga State to find solutions to the challenges faced by the people of Accra.

“I want to say, and just as you righty said, hosting the capital has not been easy. So we thank you that you have thought about solutions.  I always say that Accra has serious problems and needs serious people to solve these problems.  We are in line and in link with your solutions; let’s get them by.

“Come, December 7, if Ghanaians give you the nod, we want a social contract with the Ga people, we want that. We also want you to place in prime positions, Ga and Dangbe indigenes within your party so that they can effectively serve their purpose and promote our Ga culture and who we are”, the Ga Mantse added.