Historians have revealed that the steady rise of Ghana from colonialism to independence and self-governance couldn’t have been realised without the contribution of Zongo folks.
The Zongo Community in Ghana is dominated by Muslims with the preoccupation of nurturing and grooming productive Muslim youth to serve their communities religiously and the nation Ghana at large.
Chief Alhaji Moro Baba Issah who was born at Suhum Zongo in the Eastern Region of Ghana,was a clear definition of what founders of the Zongo Community in Ghana expected from their offsprings.
After his basic secular education and Islamic education at both Suhum Zongo and Nima, he proceeded to the Ghana Institute of Journalism(GIJ) for his Diploma in Communication and moved on to the University of Ghana and later enrolled at John Hopkins University in the United States.
The entire Zongo community in Ghana came to a standstill on Friday February 24, 2023 when Chief Moro Baba Issah kicked the bucket and left thousands of Muslims and non-Muslims in Ghana and across the globe in pensive mood.
Chief Moro Baba Issah who was buried at the Madina Muslim cemetery on February 25, 2023, attracted hundreds of Muslims and non-Muslim loved ones and sympathisers throughout the burial processes and the interment.
The crowd that gathered at his residence at Maamobi and at the graveyard at Madina was mind boggling. The Ayawaso North Municipal Chief Executive Amin Mohammed Zakari, officially requested the Nima Police Station command to block the road so as to help accommodate the crowd with Police Officers helping to deal with crowd control to avoid any untold incidents.
Information available from his family members and colleagues in Arabic School and secular education institutes indicated that Chief Moro Baba Issah was a blessed and intelligent young man from infancy.
At a very tender age,Baba Issah was drafted into the Convention People’s Party in the 60s and served as secretary to one of the party’s political offices.
Information gathered from reliable source has it that Baba Issah was in the 1980s appointed by the Limann Government as the Deputy Greater Accra Regional Minister but could not go through vetting process and onward approval due to the 1981 coup by Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings that toppled the government of People’s National Party.
Chief Alhaji Moro Baba Issah was instooled as the Chief of the Wangara Community of Maamobi in the mid 80s till when he passed away on Friday, February 24, 2023.
The Chief Baba Issah has been described by his colleagues traditional and Zongo Chiefs as a gifted and intelligent person with proactive leadership skills.
His acumen in effective communication,proactive leadership skills,conflict resolution and management skills and Community development management catapulted him to occupy many positions beside his Wangara Chieftaincy role at Maamobi.
Chief Alhaji Moro Baba Issah participated in the restructuring of Muslim Chiefs status in Ghana and introduced the National Council of Muslim Chiefs in Ghana. He was made the Spokesperson since and played a productive role in repositioning traditional chiefs across all Zongo Communities in Ghana.
His efforts added value to traditional chieftaincy in Muslim communities and created an atmosphere of unity of purpose and effective conflict resolution among Muslims and between Muslims and Non-Muslims.
Chief Baba Issah was appointed as the Chairman of North Ayawaso Council of Zongo Chiefs, a position he held for decades witnessed him resolved countless critical community problems,security matters, health issues and economic situations.
Chief Moro Baba Issah was appointed as an Assembly Member in the early 2000 and continue to diligently serve both the North and East Ayawaso Municipality on advisory role till he passed away.
National Chief Imam of Ghana, Sheikh Dr Osman Nuhu Sharubutu appointed Chief Baba Issah on his Advisory Executive Board. The late Chief Baba Issah played a major role in the administration of Chief Imam, especially on political and foreign affairs.
Chief Baba Issah’s commitment to serve the good people of the Zongo Community pushed him to establish a Non-government Organisation (NGO) by the name Muslims Family Counselling and Services (MFCS), office located near the Kawukudi Park. The NGO has supported countless orphans and needy families and provided some of them the opportunity to learn trades in seamstress,tailoring and many other handiwork.
The death of Chief Alhaji Moro Baba Isaah is a huge blow to all Muslims in the Zongo community and surrounding communities.
Traditional Chiefs and good people of the Zongo Community started feeling the absence of Chief Baba Isaah when he traveled to the United States for medical treatment and returned home to continue with treatments, and eventually got admitted at the 37 Military Hospital where he had his last breath.
The nation Ghana has lost a great personality who proved several times as a unique leader with enviable tactics in dealing with community conflicts, family issues,youth misbehaviour and some hidden community matters.
The huge question on the lips of his loved ones and sympathisers is, can we have a replacement for the late Chief Moro Baba Issah,the Indefatigable?
The late Chief Moro Baba Isaah has left behind indelible marks with solid legacy expected to be sustained and solidify by his successors, especially his children, colleagues traditional chiefs, politicians, parents, students, the youth and opinion leaders.
It will take time for the Zongo Community in Ghana to fill in the vacuum created by the demise of Chief Alhaji Moro Baba Issah.
BY MOHAMMED AMIN LAMPTEY
