Bawku NDC on fire

The Police in Bawku are investigating circumstances that led to the burning of a vehicle belonging to Tanko Akologo, Deputy Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Bawku Central Constituency.

Akologo’s Toyota Tacoma pick-up was set on fire by unknown arsonists in the early hours of yesterday.

The Bawku Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Ebenezer Kwaku Asare, in an interview with DAILY GUIDE, confirmed the burning of the white Tacoma pick-up with registration UE 85-12 around 2:30am on Friday September 20, 2013.

No one had been arrested in connection with the suspected arson at the time of filing this report, but Police ruled out an electrical fault.

They suspected that the vehicle was deliberately burnt, for reasons best known to the unidentified persons who did it.

Indeed, the incident came as no surprise to many residents of Bawku and people who had been monitoring recent happenings in the area.

Tanko Akologo was among some NDC members who were vetted for the position of the Bawku Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) recently and lost to Amadu Karim, who also failed to secure the needed votes for his confirmation.

Since that incident, people had been insinuating that the NDC Deputy Constituency Organizer had influenced the Assembly members to reject Amadu Karim, the President’s nominee for the MCE position. Tanko Akologo denied working against the President’s nominee on various platforms.

He also denied complicity in the recent disturbances in the area.

The arson could be linked to the ongoing latent rivalry within the NDC in the Bawku Municipality.

Tanko Akologo, in an interview with DAILY GUIDE, said he did not suspect anyone from an opposition party, but from the NDC in view of the recent happenings in the party.

“I am very sure this was done because of the Municipal Chief Executive thing. No one should link it to any opposition party person because if they were interested in burning this car or any of my cars, they would have done it when the campaign was hot in 2012. My cars are always parked in front of my house and no one burnt them. It’s just this time that I have expressed interest in participating in the vetting for the Bawku MCE position that this is happening to me,” he said.