Shiizugu (N/R), Aug 9, GNA - Some 120 people in Shiizugu, a suburb of Tamale in the Tamale South Constituency, who claimed they were members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), have defected to the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Mr Alhassan Mahamoud, who said he was the Zonal Chairman of the NDC, said Botin-Na Zakaria Yahaya, the Chief of the area, and the rest of the community had also decided not to associate with the NDC. Mr Mahamoud said Shiizugu and Kapkayili communities had been neglected over the years in terms of provision of development projects and that it was only the NPP that could assist the communities, hence the need to quit NDC.

He claimed that the Shiizugu community was a "no go" area for the NPP during the 2004 Elections and that the trend had suddenly changed because they realised they were in the wilderness.

Mr Mahamoud said the entire membership of the NDC in the community, including Party Executives, had denounced the NDC to join the ruling NPP, "since the NDC has nothing to offer us".

He gave the names of the other Executive Members, who had defected as Salifu Sumani, Zonal Organizer; Shaibu Abdulai, Zonal Secretary; Yakubu Baako, Vice Chairman; Adamu Zakaria and Sanatu Tia, Women's Organisers, and were all present at the gathering.

The defectors appealed to the Leadership of the NPP in the Tamale Metropolis not to desert them but should bring development to them to justify the confidence they had reposed in them.

They appealed to the Government to connect the community to the National Electricity Grid to enable school children in the community to study at night.

Mr Clifford Abdallah Braimah, Northern Regional Secretary of the NPP, welcomed the defectors and said there was goodwill in the Party and that NPP would continue to meet the needs of Ghanaians. Reacting to the defection Mr Abdul Rauf Sulemana, Tamale South Constituency Chairman of the NDC, said the defection claim lacked credibility.

He said Shiizugu is a new settlement with people from different political backgrounds and that it was not true to say the whole community supported the NDC during the 2004 Elections.

Mr Sulemana said NDC Leaders in the community were still at post and those, who claimed to be members and had defected, were not known as members of the Party.

He gave the names of the Executives of NDC in the area as Abu Abdul Rahaman, Branch Chairman; Iddi Alhassan, Vice Chairman; Alhassan Baba, Secretary and Abukari Ibrahim, Organiser, who died about three months ago and had not yet been replaced.

He said the community is under Kapkayili and the Kapkayili Chief controls the whole area.

"Our investigations indicate that Botin-Naa, who they claimed is the chief of the area, is false. He came to settle there with the name Botin-Naa as his nickname," Mr Sulemana said. 09 Aug. 06