New Gonjaland Youth Association leaders take charge, launch bold drive for development
The Gonjaland Youth Association (GLYA) has inducted a new set of national executives with a vision to achieve development in the Savannah Region at large.
The colourful handing-over and fundraising ceremony took place on Saturday, May 31, at the Kofi Ohene-Konadu Auditorium of the University of Professional Studies, Accra.
The event brought together traditional rulers, political leaders, technocrats, and youth representatives from across the country.
Alhassan Baba Darison was sworn in as President, with Dramani Issahaku Mastana as 1st Vice President, Madam Issahaku Mariama as 2nd Vice President, and Habib Muftawu Borejikpr as Secretary.
The other executives are Mankir Ibn Malik (PRO), Kelly Gbalo Mbonwura (Organizer), Issahaku Ibrahim Bobino (Deputy Organizer), and Braimah Abiba (Women’s Commissioner).
In his inaugural address, Mr. Darison emphasized the need for bold reforms to address youth unemployment, low literacy rates, and economic hardship in the region.
“Our leadership is not here to reinvent the Association. We are here to strengthen it. We are not here to divide, we are here to unify—and we are not here to coast, we are here to climb,” he stated, adding, “Let us rise with one heart, one purpose, and one vision: Unity, Peace, Development.”
The event also served as a platform to mobilise funds for youth-focused projects, scholarships, cultural promotion, and institutional strengthening.
Over GH¢300,000 was pledged in support of the 49-year-old Association’s development agenda.
In an address, Energy and Green Transition Minister, John Abdulai Jinapor, urged the new leadership to be inclusive and focused, pointing to the region’s low rural electrification coverage as a critical area of concern.
“Savannah Region is the lowest when it comes to rural electrification. That must change. We can do a lot more, and I urge the new executives to hold us together and lead with purpose,” he said.
The Guest of Honour, Karaga MP and former Finance Minister, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, challenged the Association to shift from short-term development models to long-term strategic priorities.
“Our development should not be judged by the number of clinics or schools we build. It should be based on how many millionaires we produce and how many of our youth are sustainably employed,” he stated.
“We must begin to negotiate our priorities with political parties and demand results,” the MP stressed.
President Darison called on all Gonjalanders and well-wishers to support the Association’s financial sustainability plan, which includes mobilising 1,000 members to contribute GHS 100 monthly.
“This is how we secure scholarships, build businesses, preserve our culture and fund our operations—not through handouts but with ownership,” he said.