We regret not naming “Fugu” after Rawlings.

play videoSecretary of the Northern Region Robe Manufacturers Association Mohammed Ali Abdul Somed

Mohammed Ali Abdul Somed, secretary of the Morshe Market Robe Manufacturers Association in the Northern Region, expressed the regret of the natives of the three northern regions – the birthplace of the fugu – for not naming one of the robes after former President JJ ​​Rawlings. .

Traditional clothing from the northern regions of Ghana has a unique manufacturing process and is often named after its patterns, the source of the primary material, and more recently, famous figures in the community.

“Nowadays, we name materials after worthy people around us, important people… We have clothes called Lordina Mahama because she wore them; we named it after her,” he explained.

“The material itself existed in the system shortly before they came to power, but because she carried it and introduced it to the world, we named it after her. Samira Bawumia also came and started wearing a special dress, so we named it after her,” he added.

According to Abdul Somed, former President Rawlings was one of the first presidents to show off traditional clothing to the world by wearing it for formal occasions, but they never got around to naming the specific “fugue” he wore after him.

He noted that Rawlings helped market Fugu around the world during his tenure, but their ability to commercialize Fugu production was not fully developed at the time.

“At that time, our maturity in selling our material was not at that level; look how he sold Fugu. But we never named it after him. The type of dress he wore, the material is called Bonga, but we never tried to name it after him,” he lamented.

“We are in pain now because this was the era of our grandfathers. They were unaware of the business opportunities. If we had named it after him, perhaps Rawlings would have taken the lead in promoting it more widely,” he lamented.

Nowadays, this traditional outfit, which was also worn by the first President of Ghana and his colleagues during the country’s declaration of independence, has become a fashion sensation across the country, transcending regional and tribal boundaries.