Bawku (U/E) Jan. 7 GNA - Sixteen people believed to be supporters of Mr Mahama Ayariga, National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate for Bawku Central, have had their houses burnt down.

The incidences which were recorded from the month of November 2011 and early part of January 2012 has been given political undertone as the victims had different ethnic persuasions.

Mr Ayariga who announced this at a Press Conference organised in Bawku and attended by the victims and the Bawku Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Abdullai Musah, attributed the arson attacks on his supporters to be politically motivated.

The NDC Parliamentary Candidate, who is also a Deputy Minister of Education and currently in his constituency, explained that among the 16 supporters attacked, only two were Kusasis.

The rest he stated were made up of tribes including Frafras, Bimobas, Kassenas, and Bissa among others and said those were his supporters, adding that the incidences could not therefore be attributed to the ethnic conflict in the area.

”What happens is that anytime I organise a political campaign and meetings in any of my supporters house that very night the house is set ablaze in the night with petrol by unidentified gangs believed to be my opponents”, Mr Ayariga said.

He indicated that his political opponents who have no doubt that he would win the Parliamentary election in the area were doing everything possible to torment and dissuade his supporters, but stressed that they would not be successful.

He said government had spent huge resources in trying to maintain the peace in Bawku and said it would not be the best if government’s efforts at achieving peace were thwarted by the very people who should know better that peace had no substitute for cohabitation.

Mr Ayariga appealed to his political opponents to see the development of Bawku as paramount before their personal interests and added that the security agencies in the area to be up and doing to ensure that this year’s election was conducted in a peaceful manner.

Mr Ayariga who was the MP for the area in 2004 pledged to undertake his campaigns devoid of insults and called on other political parties to ensure that they engaged in similar campaigns to maintain the peace in the area.

Some victims of the arson whose properties were set ablaze and running into several million of Ghana Cedis included Alhaji Musah Mumuni, the Regional Treasurer whose two bed room house was burnt down, Adam Musah, NDC activist whose barbering shop was also razed down.

The other victims included Bashiru Dabori, Deputy Constituency Organiser, Braimah Abdul Raham, NDC zonal Secretary, Musah Atia , NDC Activist, Yusif Amadu, NDC activist, David Awuni, NDC activist, Bawa Sunday, NDC activist among others.

The Bawku Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Musah Abdulai, said so far some of the suspects have been arrested and others remanded in police custody whilst investigations continues.

He warned that the peace in Bawku could no longer be toyed with and said anybody who would attempt to destabilize the peace in Bawku would not be spared by the security agencies