Politicians Must Emulate Dombo, Be selfless, Humble

Politicians have been urged to emulate the selfless, humble and dedicated lifestyle of Chief Simon Diedong Dombo, one of the founder members of the Northern People's Party (NPP), who made the development of the people his priority.

Chief Dombo is credited with relinquishing his position as the majority leader in Parliament and accepting to become Dr K. A. Busia's deputy when all the opposition parties merged after the 1956 general election, although the then NPP had the largest number of MPs among all the opposition parties.

Reverend Father Ziem Marciano Kogh of the St Kizito Catholic Church, Nima in Accra, made the call when he officiated at the 10th anniversary memorial and thanksgiving service for Chief Dombo in Accra on Sunday.
 

Chief Dombo is described as a renowned chief of Duori, dedicated teacher and astute politician.
 
The celebration of the life of Chief Dombo, who died 10 years ago in London, was attended by Vice-President Aliu Mahama; the flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and the National Chairman of the NPP, Mr Peter Mac Manu among Other dignitaries .

Father Kogh thanked God for the life of Chief Dombo, who he said did not only live to assist people close to him but also those in his community and the country in general.

He described as unbelievable the decision by Chief Dombo to move from Tamale, after completing his middle school there, to teach at his alma mater, the Lawra Primary School.

“After his teacher training studies at the Government Teacher Training College in Tamale in 1945, Chief Dombo was never enticed by city life in Tamale but went back to his home town to establish a primary school at Eremon in the Lawra/Nandom District where he taught till he was enskinned Chief of Duori in 1949,” he said.

Rev Kogh said the best Chief Dombo's family and others could do in honour of his memory was to emulate tolerance and not to oppose their opponents for opposing sake.

He also advised politicians not to use intemperate and abusive words when explaining their ideologies or opinions on any political issue.

Recounting Chief Dombo's resilience, one of his 36 children, Mr Richard Dombo, said following the absence of Dr Busia from Ghana on forced political exile in 1959, Chief Dombo took up the mantle again as the opposition leader in Parliament.

He said the late chief was detained twice under the Convention People's Party (CPP) regime under the Preventive Detention Act.

On the eve of the declaration of Ghana's independence, during a session of the Gold Coast Legislative Assembly, when the then Prime Minister, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, was commending the British for their contribution to Ghana's development, it was Chief Dombo who associated himself with the Prime Minister's words on behalf of the opposition.

Story by Donald Ato Dapatem