COLUMN | Issifu Alidu Laa-Bandow
Zaaghana.com – June 10, 2025,
In Dagbon, where history walks hand in hand with memory, and where the spoken word once carried the weight of dynasties, it is rare to find someone who has written our truths into permanence. Yet for 90 years, Alhaji Dr. Lawyer Ibrahim Mahama has not only witnessed history—he has documented, interpreted, and preserved it. At this extraordinary juncture of his life, we are not merely celebrating an elder; we are celebrating a living archive, a custodian of Dagbon’s conscience.
Born in 1936 in Tibung, near Tamale, Ibrahim Mahama’s journey is the kind of story one might mistake for folklore. At 15, without parental prompting or external compulsion, he chose to pursue formal education—a bold, almost rebellious act in a time when many thought wisdom flowed only from the elders’ lips around the fire. He began his studies at Savelugu Primary School, continued through Dagomba District Middle School, and later graduated from the prestigious Government Secondary School in Tamale (now Tamale Senior High School). His intellectual fire carried him to the University of Ghana, where he earned his LLB in 1965 and his Professional Law Certificate in 1966.
But degrees alone do not shape a legend. Lawyer Mahama entered public life not as a careerist, but as a servant. As Ghana’s Commissioner for Secretariats and Departments (1967–1968) and later Commissioner for Information (1968–1969), he brought dignity, precision, and moral clarity to statecraft. He was elected Member of Parliament for the Tamale constituency in 1969 under the banner of the National Alliance of Liberals—serving until the 1972 coup truncated the Second Republic.
Yet it is what he did beyond office that endears him to generations across the north and beyond.
He wrote. And wrote. And wrote.
In a world where Dagbon’s rich traditions, royal conflicts, linguistic complexity, and political grievances often went unrecorded, Lawyer Mahama picked up his pen—not for profit or praise, but out of patriotic duty. His writings are not mere books. They are testimonies. Some challenge state injustice (Justice Denied, Ghana’s Judicial Scandal: Public Opinion), others recount centuries of royal tension (Dagbon Royal Battles at Manhyia Palace, Murder of an African King: Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II). Some uplift the pride of place (Capital of Tamale, Northern Region), while others preserve endangered language and culture (Dagbani-English Dictionary, English-Dagbani Dictionary).
His magnum opus History and Traditions of Dagbon is now essential reading for anyone seeking to understand not just the past of a kingdom, but the identity of a people.
With more than 20 influential works—including The Destiny of a Horse Boy, Transfer, A Colonial History of Northern Ghana, and Ethnic Conflicts in Northern Ghana—Lawyer Mahama has done what universities, governments, and think tanks have often failed to do: tell Dagbon’s story through the eyes of Dagbon.
In November 2024, the University for Development Studies conferred upon him an Honorary Doctorate—an overdue yet noble recognition of a life dedicated to knowledge, justice, and cultural preservation. But the real doctorate was conferred long ago by the streets of Tamale, the courtyards of chiefs, the shelves of libraries, and the minds of students whose understanding of identity was shaped by his words.
A Guide in Times of Crisis
Perhaps no chapter in his life defines his influence more quietly than his behind-the-scenes role during the Dagbon chieftaincy crisis. While louder voices battled on airwaves and in courtrooms, Lawyer Mahama served as a calm presence—offering guidance rooted in law, tradition, and the higher aim of peace. His influence helped lay the moral and intellectual groundwork for the reconciliation process that led to the enskinment of Yaa-Naa Abukari II in 2019.
A Personal Legacy That Echoes in Hearts
On June 10, 2025, social media has been lit with tributes. They are not hollow flattery. They are echoes of a generation raised not just by his laws and books, but by his example.
Abdul Wadud Mohammed reflected:
“Your legacy lives not only in Dagbon’s progress, but also in the many lives you’ve touched personally… Your advice—always calm, thoughtful, and inspiring—taught us the values of discipline, education, and service to the community.”
Inzaghi Zakiw, affectionately, wrote:
“On your 90th birthday, Grandpa, we celebrate your life, legacy, and the countless ways you’ve touched our hearts.”
And from Mohammed Awal Tahidu:
“Congratulations to Dr. Lawyer Ibrahim Mahama! Today, June 10, 2025, marks exactly the 90th birthday anniversary of Dagbon lawyer Ibrahima.”
These are not empty words. They are testimonies of the depth with which one man has influenced Dagbon—not by riches or rank, but by truth, clarity, and service.
Why His Legacy Must Be Protected
As we mark this milestone, let us not be content with mere celebration. Let us institutionalize his legacy:
Let schools adopt his works.
Let a public digital archive of his publications be created.
Let a memorial lecture series bear his name, focusing on justice, culture, and northern heritage.
Let the government and traditional leadership publicly affirm that Lawyer Ibrahim Mahama is not only a son of Dagbon—but a national treasure.
At 90, he is still with us—a blessing we must not squander. His life teaches us that scholarship is service, that history matters, and that dignity lies in telling one’s own story with courage and truth.
Long live Dr. Lawyer Ibrahim Mahama.
Long live the spirit of Dagbon.
Picture taken from Abdul Wadud Mohammed, Inzaghi Zakiw and Mohammed Awal Tahidu Official Facebook accounts.
