DISPUTE BETWEEN TWO MUSLIM LEADERS IN KOFORIDUA SESOLVED (PAGE 21)

THE LONG standing dispute between the Eastern Regional Chief Imam, Alhaji Yusuf Hamdani Suleman and the Spiritual Leader, Sheikh Ahmed Tijani, has been finally settled.
The dispute virtually divided the Muslim community at Koforidua into two factions, making it impossible for them to pray together at the Central Mosque for nearly two years.
The dispute was resolved through the joint effort of Chief Alhaji Abu Dagomba, the Chairman of the Eastern Regional Council of Moslem Chiefs who is also the chief of the Dagomba Community of Koforidua, Alhaji Ahmed Zakaria popularly known as Samson Kwakwa, the Chairman of the Zongo Peace Council and the Eastern Regional Co-ordinating Council led by the Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and his deputy, Mr Mohammed Ahmed Baba Jamal.
To seal the reconciliation, Alhaji Hamdani, the Chief Imam and the Spiritual Leader, Sheikh Ahmed Tijani together with their followers and the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Baba Jamal, were at the Central Mosque together for the Spiritual Leader to perform his duty of reading the Koran in connection with this year’s Ramadan.
They also prayed for President John Evans Atta Mills, the Government and people of Ghana.
Addressing the Moslems, Baba Jamal expressed his gratitude to the two prominent Moslem personalities in the region for reconciling, stressing that their coming together would help accelerate the development of the Moslem community in the area which had stalled due to the confusion.
“I am happy that both of you have decided to forget about the past and come together for the development of the Moslem community which was not possible as a result of the division; I hope that never again will such an unfortunate incidence occur”, Baba Jamal told the Muslims.
Some of the Muslim youths who spoke to the Daily Graphic after the function, expressed their happiness about the reconciliation, saying that it had united all Muslims in the New Juaben Municipality.
It would be recalled that two years ago, the Chief Imam and his followers had to gather at the Central Mosque for prayers for the Ramadan under heavy police guard while the Spiritual leader and his group had theirs in another location due to the dispute.