The Speaker of Parliament, the Rt Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, officiated on Saturday 6 June 2026 at a sod-cutting ceremony to start the development of a contemporary meeting corridor inside the Wa Na Palace, marking the primary part of what he described as a “generational” effort to uplift the heritage of the Wa Na Kingdom.
The ceremony, which was commissioned by the Wara Conventional Space Ruler, Naa Husseini Seidu Perpuo IV, was attended by numerous supreme chiefs from the 4 gates of the Wara Conventional Council, the Supreme Queen Mom, heads of divisions and subdivisions and the Queen Mom, Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, heads of municipalities and districts, Imams, and celebration leaders throughout political divides.
Chairman Bagbin used the event to deal with critics who’ve questioned the seriousness of the Shae Park Industrial and Useful resource Hub initiative launched by President John Dramani Mahama on January 31, 2026. He reminded the gathering that he had vowed to not depart the venture as an “costly outside ceremony” with deserted kids, and pointed to Friday’s groundbreaking ceremony as proof of his dedication.
“To all you Thomases unsure, we’re right here right this moment! 4 months after the launch, we’re holding a groundbreaking ceremony to start the development of the primary part of this venture. This massive step ought to let everybody know that we’re actually severe about it,” the Chairman declared.
“I emphasised that I meant enterprise. I additionally dispelled any issues that I used to be making empty political guarantees that might stay clean eternally,” the chairman stated, including that the venture’s advisor, Professor Kwame Addo, had assured him that building might be accomplished inside months and in time for this yr’s Dumba Pageant.
“Guests who carry improvement”
Quoting a neighborhood proverb, “Sanan Mara Eiri” (translated as “It’s the guests who carry improvement”), the chairman framed the palace venture inside a broader financial imaginative and prescient of creating Wa a sexy gateway metropolis for traders coming to the Higher West area. He famous that traders should first pay respect to the normal house owners of the land earlier than beginning a enterprise, and {that a} reception area worthy of Wanner Palace is important.
“No customer can enter a home and be given a key to a room with out first assembly the owner and negotiating phrases, so traders visiting the realm should first respect the normal house owners of the realm,” he defined.
Preservation of historic buildings
The Chair moved to deal with issues raised on the conceptual stage that the venture might compromise the palace’s unique structure. He emphasised that the development will protect the palace’s historic Sudanese architectural model and that continued efforts to have the palace acknowledged as a UNESCO World Heritage Website stay central to the venture’s design temporary.
“The present building doesn’t destroy or alter the unique Sudanese structure. The design preserves the palace in its unique kind,” he assured.
Bagbin additionally famous the historic significance of this second, explaining that the redevelopment is just the second main renovation of the palace since its building greater than 5 centuries in the past, the primary being within the Twenties.
“This isn’t a willful achievement. All of us should pat ourselves on the again,” he stated, insisting that the venture belonged to your complete Wara conventional space and to not any particular person or faction.
Warning towards battle
The chairman issued a transparent warning to all events towards any disputes that would derail the venture, calling disputes “scarecrows that scare traders away.”
“Battle is the largest enemy of improvement and a scarecrow that scares away traders. I hope this venture will additional strengthen our unity.”
Nevertheless, he expressed confidence that the normal battle decision expertise of the area’s chiefs and elders would forestall any disagreements from threatening the venture’s progress.
Acknowledgment
Speaker Bagbin expressed particular reward to Wa Central MP and Minister of Labor, Employment and Employment, Dr. Hassan Rashid Perpuo, who he stated “lined a lot of the fee” of the ceremony and patriotically supported the venture from formulation to implementation.
He additionally thanked Professor Kwame Addo, ShaePark Useful resource Hub Ambassador Pogunar Salma Chaana Abdul Razak and all members of the planning committee who made the occasion potential.
