The Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, has proposed the inclusion of Zongo chiefs in all the traditional councils in the country to promote dialogue, harmony and peaceful co-existence among the people. He also charged the various ethnic groups to ensure proper management of their relationships to prevent conflict and stressed the need for the public not to infringe on the religious freedoms of other people. The Vice-President made the proposal when he opened the first National Congress of the Council of Zongo Chiefs in Accra Saturday. Held on the theme: “Uniting Zongo Chiefs for Peace and Socio-economic Development”, the congress was meant to adopt the revised constitution of the council, elect new officers and strategise for the coming year. It was chaired by Professor Naa Nabila, the Wulugu Naba and President of the National House of Chiefs. Mr Mahama said some traditional areas had incorporated Zongo chiefs into their councils, a move which had promoted peace among the people. He said the remaining traditional areas should also follow suit by appointing some Zongo chiefs to serve on their councils to promote understanding, unity and peace. Tracing the history of the Zongo communities, the Vice-President said during the trans-Atlantic slave trade, merchants, mainly Muslims, settled at the outskirts of towns, usually close to mosques. He said the people of the Zongos were later enlisted into the Army and indicated that the first unit created by the Gold Coast for the people of the Zongos and those from the northern part of the nation was called the Hausa Constabulary. The Vice-President said now the Zongos were made up of Muslims and Christians from the various ethnic groups and indicated that with the expansion of cities, Zongos were at the centre of towns. He said on the eve of independence, every person within the territory of the country became a Ghanaian, saying that “the people of Zongo are equal Ghanaians as other people”. Mr Mahama congratulated traditional and religious leaders on contributing to the maintenance of peace in the country but cautioned that the country should not take that peace for granted. Consequently, he said, it was about time the various ethnic groups devised ways of improving their relationships to ensure continuous peace among their people and avoid conflict. Mr Mahama described the recent unrest between the indigenes of Hohoe and their brothers in the Zongo community as an unfortunate misunderstanding between two communities, not a fight between Muslims and Christians. He said both parties had expressed their commitment to resolve the conflict and gave an assurance that the government would continue to support the peace initiative and also support the affected people to stand on their feet. The Vice-President stressed the need for Muslims to send their children, especially the girls, to school and support them to achieve their potential, since that was the only way they could improve their living conditions. He also asked the youth not to allow themselves to be used as thugs by politicians but rather acquire employable skills and take advantage of the various National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) modules to earn income. On this year’s Hajj, Mr Mahama announced that Ghana’s Hajj quota had been increased from 4,000 to 6,000 to cater for all Ghanaian Muslim pilgrims and avoid any difficulty in the acquisition of more visas. He said for the first time pilgrims from the northern part of the country would be checked in Tamale and transported directly to the Kotoka International Airport to be lifted to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj. He said the deadline for the payment of the Hajj fare of $3,100 was August 31, 2012 and asked all prospective pilgrims and Hajj agents to pay on time to avoid any disappointment. The former Vice-President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, expressed worry at the perception that many people in the Zongos were engaged in criminal activities, besides the fact that they were backward in terms of education and social status. He charged the Zongo chiefs to liaise with opinion leaders to fashion out a strategy of reversing the trend by focusing more on giving Zongo children quality education and discouraging them from any social vices. Alhaji Mahama said the establishment of the council was welcome, as it would offer the opportunity for the people of the Zongos to build peace and unity within their respective communities “and strengthen our efforts at alleviating poverty in our communities”. The Public Relations Officer of the National Council of Zongo Chiefs, Chief Alhaji Imoro Baba Issa, said the three-day congress would help delegates to adopt and review a constitution which would help direct the affairs of the Zongo communities. The Wulugu Naba stressed the need for the Zongo chiefs to be incorporated into traditional councils to give them a sense of belonging and promote dialogue and peace among the people.