Regional News of Wednesday, 4 September 2013

Source: GNA

Bawku NDC youth attack President’s nominee

Mr Amadu Issah Wabu, the president’s nominee for the position of Municipal Chief Executive for Bawku, was on Monday attacked by some aggrieved youth of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) who said they were opposed to his nomination.

The incident occurred at about 0845 hours on Monday whilst Mr Wabu was driving towards the Municipal Assembly block where the youth had gathered in protest against the arrest of their colleagues for challenging the nomination of Mr Wabu.

On Sunday night, there were sporadic gunshots in the Municipality to protest against the nomination of Mr Wabu as MCE for the area.

Eight persons, including Mr Tanko Akologo, Bawku Constituency Youth Organizer of the NDC have been arrested by the Bawku Police in connection with the Sunday night gunshots.

At about 09:45 hours, a large number of the youth besieged the premises of the Bawku Police Station to protest against the arrest of the eight suspected persons.

The protestors were alleged to have vandalized some vehicles belonging to the Assembly whilst two people sustained some degrees of injuries in the process.

The Bawku Constituency Chairman of the NDC, Alhaji Issifu Asana, had earlier held a press conference to show his disapproval of the President’s nominee, claiming he was not consulted as an executive member of the party at the constituency level and also had little trust in the nominee as a true NDC.

He said Mr Wabu was not a committed member of the NDC having moved from a number of political parties including the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the National Reform Party (NRP), and later contested the Bawku Central Constituency seat as an independent candidate.

Chief Superintendent of Police, Ebenezer Kweku Asare, Bawku Divisional Police commander, told the GNA that since the announcement of the president’s nominee, the NDC youth in the area had organized press conferences to protest against the nomination.

He called on party supporters to avoid violence, adding that security personnel had put in stringent measures to ensure that the violence does not escalate.

He urged the people to remain calm and follow the right channel to address their grievances because the police service would not condone any miscreants.

The security in the Municipality has called on the Upper East Regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to warn its members to be circumspect in their reportage on issues about the area.

Some NDC faithful advised the president to reconsider his decision following the several allegations.

Mr Philibert Kupul, Bawku Municipal Coordinating Director, reacting to the vehicles which were vandalized, said the Assembly came to work on Monday morning only to see two of its mobile vans riddled with gunshots.

He said the Assembly immediately alerted the police service, which had started investigations into the matter to bring the perpetrators to book.