Members of the opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC) in the Bolgatanga Municipality have rejected bags of sugar given to them by the Upper East Regional Minister, Paulina Abayaga to be distributed to muslims in the month of Ramadan.

The NDC’s Regional Executives had earlier received the bags of sugar just as other political party executives in the Bolgatanga Municipality, but decided to return them after keeping them and pondering for days.

The reason for rejecting the bags of sugar according to the Regional Youth Organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Abraham Lambong was the lack of clarity about the source of funding for the bags of sugar.

The NDC wants to know if the bags of sugar were bought by the Minister, the Regional Coordinating Council or the New Patriotic Party, saying the party would not like to be mentioned wrongly in the event of any misuse of Public Funds.

According to Mr. Lambong who spoke on the “Day Break Upper East” programme on A1-Radio the bags of sugar can only be accepted if the Minister comes out to explain to them (members of the NDC) and the general public that indeed she is not misusing public funds and that she used her own pocket money to buy the bags of sugar.

Meanwhile in a response, the Upper East Regional Communication Director of the New Patriotic Party, Sanusi Issah, said he sees the act by the NDC executives as unfortunate and a clear indication that they are never ready for unity.

According to him, the Regional Minister did not give the bags of sugar to only the NDC but all other political parties in the region.

Sanusi Isaiah, further explained that this is not the first time a Regional Minister is giving bags of sugar to political parties in the region in the holy month of Ramadan, and therefore sees the NDC’s action as a cheap propaganda.

Sanusi Issah expressed regret over a similar action by the members of some NPP youth base, who upon hearing that the NDC Regional Executives have rejected the Regional Minister’s gift, also decided to reject the bags of sugar from the Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central, Isaac Adongo.

The NPP Youth bases had earlier accepted the gift from the Member of Parliament as had happen since 2017, but decided to return the gift to the Member of Parliament this year, as a way of paying the NDC back with their own coin.

The NPP Communication Director believes the two situations are bad for inter-party unity in the region and blamed the National Democratic Congress for starting it.