By: Johannes Jafo Akunatu, a concerned citizen of Gonja land from Busunu
A time in the life of a people comes when they must step back, look themselves in the mirror, and ask: Are we fighting the right battles? What is unfolding around the proposed Catholic Science and Technology University in Damongo is not only disappointing; it’s a mirror reflecting our own misplaced anger, our chronic misunderstanding of development, and our habit of turning progress into conflict.
We, the people of Gonja and the Savannah Region, must get this straight: the proposed university is not a political trophy or some sort of religious conquest. It is a joint project between the Catholic Church and the Government of Ghana, a partnership driven by shared interest in human development. The Catholic Church is the lead developer, while the government plays a strategic, supportive role. To condemn the Church and its leadership for the name “Catholic” is not only unfair; it is intellectually lazy and deeply ungrateful.
Let’s be intellectually fair, Why would a whole government with its machinery and bureaucracy, simply “hand over” a public university to a church out of charity? Are we to believe the government is that naive? Or that the Catholic Bishop of Damongo just walked into Jubilee House in his white cassock and came out with a university? That is not how states operate. That is not how development happens. It is a fact that the involvement of the Church is premised on structure, investment, and credibility, and not manipulation.
If we are sincere, the Catholic Church has been one of the most dependable development partners within our midst. Before we begin to point accusing fingers, let us embark on a tour of West Gonja. Had it not been the Catholic Church, there would not have been the St. Anne’s Hospital — an institution which has saved numerous lives. The Church built schools, clinics, training centers, and social halls across Savannah before any government remembered us. The Church didn’t await a round of applause; it acted. That is a history sculpted in stone. So why this sudden hostility? Why this attempt to shame the very institution that has been carrying our people on its shoulders all these years?
If the name “Catholic” offends the pride of our culture, let us handle that with civility and maturity. We can always negotiate respectfully with the Church and other stakeholders involved as to how the name can reflect both faith and culture. That is how progress-minded people operate: through dialogue, not public insults or social media chaos. The world is moving fast, and those who cannot discuss development intelligently will forever be spectators in their own land.
We need to accept that development does not always wear the labels that we want it to wear. It comes sometimes through collaboration. If we are serious about development in Savannah, we have to learn to collaborate, not bicker over names. If the people of Bolgatanga could unify to initiate an airport project and subsequently gain government backing for support, why can’t we do the same to our needs? What are we starting for ourselves in Savannah? What are we building beyond social media noise and cultural posturing? What do we want to be known for?
Let’s also face another uncomfortable truth: we fight the wrong wars. When departments and key offices in our newly created region are dominated by people from outside Savannah, we remain silent. When our young graduates struggle to find meaningful opportunities, we murmur privately. When poor governance or neglect affects our roads, water, and livelihoods, we excuse it or stay quiet. We have never once protested strongly against any government that promised us water and failed to deliver. Yet, when a church, a proven partner in our development brings in a university project, we suddenly find our voices to protest against a mere name. That is misplaced activism.
We should be angry that we are not leading our own development conversations, not at those who at least try. We have not signed any “social contract” with the Catholic Church; they have no obligation to fix our region. If they step forward to invest and build, our first instinct should be gratitude — or, at the very least, restraint. If we cannot celebrate their contributions, we should not drag their name through the mud.
The Catholic Church did not go to the Flagstaff House to pursue any personal gain as some of our own leaders would have done; they went with Damongo and the Savannah people in mind. Whether the university is named after Jakpa, Ndewura, or the Catholic Church itself, the purpose remains the same-to educate, to empower, to lift our youth from the shadows of unemployment and despair. A purpose much greater than our obsession with labels.
We must not become a people known for fighting those who bring light to our doorsteps. If we continue to dismiss every opportunity because it does not wear our cultural colors, we will stay right where we are — talking, blaming, and falling behind. Development does not wait for those debating it; it rewards those seizing it.
The fact is this, the Catholic Church has earned a moral right to lead such an initiative. The Catholic Church has shown competence, credibility, and trust from the community. We can seek to engage them to make the project more inclusive, but other ways amount to an act of self-sabotage. The Church has hospitals where our mothers deliver safely, schools where our children learn, and missions that feed our poor. What has your agitations built?
It is time we grew up as a people. Let us channel our energy into building partnerships, not burning bridges. Let us learn to appreciate, not always accuse. If the name “Catholic” troubles us, let us meet leadership and discuss possibilities — but let’s do so with the respect that adults bring to the table, not with the bitterness of those who confuse pride with progress.
Savannah deserves better from us. We should defend our culture, yes, but never at the expense of our future. The world is on the move, and we cannot afford to be those people who fight light because it doesn’t shine the way we expect.
If we must fight, let us fight for better schools, clean water, job creation, and unity in our land and not mere names. Let us fight for accountability, not against those who build. Because, in the end, when that university opens its doors, it will not only serve Catholics. It will serve us all.
Let the Catholic Church be.
Let’s stop misinforming and inciting the public against the Catholic Church
Let us rise above this pettiness, for our own and for the sake of those generations who shall inherit the legacy of what we do.
