Hundreds of people from all walks of life trooped to the Zongo Play Grounds over the weekend to mark this year’s Damba Festival in style.

Often referred to as Damma in Mampruli and Jingbenti in Waali, the festival is celebrated by the chiefs and people of the Northern, Savanna, North East and Upper West Regions in the lunar month of Damba-the third month of the Islamic calendar.

It signify unity, cooperation and coexistence amongst the people. Damba is celebrated to mark the birth and naming of the Holy prophet, Muhammad.

Organised by the Dagomba youth group in Obuasi, the festival brought together traditional authorities, local  and national political authorities as the rich culture of the various tribes from Northern Ghana was exhibited  to mark  the festival  which celebrates glorification of the chieftaincy.

Queen mother of Edubiase, Nana Akua Dwom II, Municipal Chief Executive for Obuasi, Elijah Adansi-Bonah, as well as chiefs from various ethnic groups  and religious leaders were in attendance.

It was under the theme, "Harnessing our cultural diversity for job and wealth creation".

Chairman of the Dagomba Youth Association, Shaban Ibn Bawa in a  speech said the celebration of the Damba festival dates back to the 18th Century during the reign of Naa Zanjina.

According to him, the festival, mostly celebrated by the Dagombas  has now spread to other Northern tribes including Mamprusi, Gonja and Wala.

He asked Dagombas and other  ethnic groups to use  the occasion to unite and co-exist peacefully since the festival symbolises unity of the Mole-Dagbanis,  all the sons and daughters of Naa Gbewaa.

Touching on the theme for the celebrations, Mr. Bawa urged the youth to acquire entrepreneurial skills to guarantee them a secured future  than to resort to "get rich quick” schemes.

On her part, the Queen Mother of the Edubiase Traditional Area, Nana Akua Dwom II who graced the occasion with the Dompoase Kontihene, Nana Bosompim Kitikyi Appenteng,  praised the organisers for assembling most of the tribes in Ghana to exhibit their culture.

Whilst appealing for tolerance and peaceful co-existence, she asked participants to accommodate other tribes.

 "The mere fact that we are here should tell everyone that, with unity of purpose and tolerance for divergent views and other culture, Ghana will develop beyond what we are seeing now".

Meanwhile, a  founding member of  the Dagomba Youth Association in Obuasi, Masawudu Arabia has called for the prioritization of formal education among Moslem youth.

He said "gone are the days when youth from Zongo were associated with all manner of crimes but the time has come for us to prove to the world that people from Zongo value the essence of formal education.

He reiterated the call for peaceful co-existence. He said peace is an enabler to enhance development and that all must give peace a chance. He urged the people to do away with division, because that would retard development in the area.