The Paramount Chief of the Jirapa Traditional Area, Naa Dinaa Donglabong Ganaa III, has issued a passionate appeal to the government to select Jirapa as the strategic location for the new Upper West Regional Hospital.

Speaking at the grand durbar of the 2026 Bong-Ngo festival at the Jirapa Naa Yelpoe II Park, the traditional leader noted that with the current Regional Hospital in Wa slated to be upgraded into a teaching hospital to serve the medical school of the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS), Jirapa is the natural and most practical successor for the regional facility.

"As government considers upgrading the current regional hospital into a teaching hospital to serve the medical school… we humbly but firmly submit that Jirapa is a ready and strategic location for the new regional hospital, as it stands as a hub of connectivity," Naa Dinaa Donglabong Ganaa III declared to the gathering of dignitaries and residents.

He further decried the state of neglected infrastructure within the municipality, noting that abandoned projects, from town roads to the St. Joseph’s Hospital administration block, cry out for completion.

He also highlighted an urgent need for logistical support across local schools, revealing that Jirapa Senior High School lacks a bus, the Community Health Training College is without a fence wall, and St. Francis Girls' Senior High School is in dire need of a pickup vehicle.

He additionally advocated for human capital development, making a special financial appeal for Pius Zenadubo, a Doctor of Pharmacy student at the University of Cape Coast.

Adding immediate political commitment to the traditional leader's developmental agenda, the Member of Parliament for the Jirapa Constituency, Cletus Seidu Dapilah, announced swift interventions.

He pledged to cover exam-related expenses for basic schools, especially those who are about to write the 2026 BECE, to ensure students are comfortable during critical transition periods.

He further committed to donating 160 bedsheets to the St. Joseph Hospital to alleviate immediate resource constraints.

Earlier during the event, the Upper West Regional Minister, Charles Lwanga Puozuing, representing President John Dramani Mahama, set a collaborative tone by calling for absolute unity and shared responsibility to drive the socioeconomic transformation of the area.

Beyond the developmental appeals, the festival was a spectacular showcase of royalty and heritage, marked by the grand entrances of various chiefs and queen mothers.

Naa Dinaa Donglabong Ganaa III captivated the gathering with a majestic arrival, riding onto the durbar grounds on horseback to display his supremacy before taking his esteemed seat.

Attendees were treated to a rich cultural display of traditional dances and theatrical performances carrying deep historical significance.

One dramatic piece cautioned the people to preserve dawadawa trees by not cutting them at a young age, while another group of women used a play to demonstrate the immense socio-economic and nutritional importance of the dawadawa fruit.

The cultural centrepiece of the festival unfolded when sub-chiefs paid homage to the Jirapa Naa, formally asking if they could now harvest the dawadawa.

In adherence to ancestral traditions that strictly prohibit harvesting the fruit until it is fully ready, the Paramount Chief officially granted permission, marking the commencement of the harvest season.

Concluding the momentous occasion, Paramount chief of Pulima, Chief Kuoro Osman Deiwia Nankpa III, underscored the historical life-saving legacy of the town's medical facilities.

He recounted a personal journey in 1996 when he rode a bicycle from his community to Jirapa to seek emergency medical care for his brother at the St. Joseph's Hospital.

The Chairman also used the opportunity to issue a strong warning against the erosion of local customs in the face of modern influences.

"Customs and traditions may be eroding with time, but under this theme of reawakening, we refuse to let our roots fade into memory," he cautioned, urging the people not to lose their culture to Western and Arabian religious influences.

The successful execution of the 2026 Bong-Ngo celebration was made possible by massive backing from prominent personalities and corporate entities.

Key sponsors recognised at the festival included the CEO of Engineers and Planners, Ibrahim Mahama; Sonzele Rural Bank Ltd; the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo); Jirapa MP, Cletus Seidu Dapilah; and Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

Other major supporters included Jayda North America; Jayda Accra-Tema; the Jirapa Municipal Assembly; Member of the Council of State, Michael Kwame Mumuni; and the Vice Chancellor of UBIDS, Prof. Emmanuel Kanchebe Derible.