Zongo Development Coordinator meets Inner-City tribal chiefs, queen mothers

The National Coordinator in charge of Zongo Development, Hon. Alhaji Baba Lamin Abu Sadat, on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, held a strategic meeting with the Council of Inner-City Tribal Chiefs and Queen Mothers in Accra.

The engagement, which was facilitated by the Council, aimed at fostering collaboration, strengthening unity, and reaffirming their mutual commitment to the development of both Zongo communities and Ghana’s inner cities.

The meeting brought together a cross-section of prominent traditional and religious leaders, including Chiefs from various regions, Imam, Queen Mothers, Bishop, and community leaders who are active members of the Council.

The meeting was described by participants as one-of-its-kind, opening a new chapter for partnership between the Office of the Zongo Development Coordinator and the Council of Inner-City Chiefs.

In his address, Chief Dr. Mohammed Sungtaaba, President of the Council of Inner-City Tribal Chiefs and Queen Mothers, expressed the group’s appreciation for the Coordinator’s outreach but also voiced concerns over what they described as the sidelining of inner-city communities in previous Zongo development programs.

He emphasized that the Council, though registered only four years ago, has for decades played crucial roles in maintaining peace, fighting crime, and promoting social cohesion in urban areas.

“We are a non-political and non-religious council with members from diverse ethnic and faith backgrounds, including Christians and Muslims. Our only agenda is community development,” Dr. Sungtaaba stated.

The Council further presented a set of requests aimed at addressing the challenges facing inner-city youth.

Among them were employment opportunities in the Ghana Army, Police Service, Immigration Service, Fire Service, and other security agencies, as well as access to nursing and teaching training slots.

They also appealed for the allocation of annual Hajj slots for their Muslim members and called for the fulfillment of previous government promises on accommodation facilities for members who migrated from other regions for meetings and related engagement of the Council.

The Council urged Hon. Abu Sadat to serve as a direct liaison between them and President John Dramani Mahama to ensure effective collaboration and timely responses to their needs.

In his response, Hon. Baba Lamin Abu Sadat thanked the Council for their warm reception and assured them of his office’s readiness to work closely with them.

He urged the Chiefs and Queen Mothers not to see him as a bureaucrat but as a messenger sent to serve.

“I want you to see me as your bridge to the Presidency. I deliberately refused to establish my office at the Flagstaff House because of the complicated security checks there. My priority is to stay closer to the people so I can serve them better,” he explained.

The Coordinator pledged to follow up with his predecessor on pending issues and continue from where previous engagements left off.

He stressed that President Mahama’s topmost priority is peace and unity, urging the Council to continue promoting harmony among different communities in Ghana.

“I encourage you to document all your concerns and forward them to my office. Correct me whenever I go wrong, and guide me when necessary. Together, we will make progress,” he added.

Hon. Baba Lamin also disclosed that he has begun wider consultations with Zongo Chiefs, Christian leaders living in Zongo communities, and other stakeholders to find lasting solutions to pressing developmental challenges.

He assured the gathering that the welfare and progress of Zongo and inner-city communities remain central to his mandate.

The meeting is a renewed sense of partnership, with both sides expressing optimism that their collaboration would bring tangible benefits to the Zongo and inner-city communities across the country.

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