The Northern Regional Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Daniel Bugri Naabu, has instructed all appointees in the region to notify him before awarding contracts.

According to him, it is “automatic” that he [being the leader of the party in the region] is informed before any contract is awarded because it is the party that formed the government.

In his view, keeping him out of the contract loop could result in the name of the government drawn into the mud.

Mr Naabu’s comment comes on the back of an attack by some NPP youth on a local contractor in the region, believed to be aligned to the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Speaking to Tamale-based Radio Tamale about the matter, Mr Naabu told the host that: “Oh yes, I have to sanction it because we wouldn’t want the government or the party’s name to be run in the mud because we want to know who awarded it, where was it awarded from?”

He reiterated that: “Of course I should be in the know before a contract is awarded. If it is at the regional tender board, the Regional Minister will have to consult me and tell me that these are jobs we want to award and this is the kind of action we are doing because without me there is no government, it is the party that formed the government, so, government cannot work alone without the party.”

He added that: “It is automatic that I’m supposed to be in the know [before a contract is awarded].