Minister fingered in Walewale NPP violence

Northern Regional Minister, Salifu Saeed has been cited for playing a key role in the violence involving New Patriotic Party (NPP) youth in the West Mamprusi District of the Northern Region.

Speaking on Accra-based Okay Fm, leader of the group Abdulai Abubakari said the minister as part of a grand conspiracy influenced the rejection of Saaka Sayuti following falsified information the Presiding Member (PM) of the assembly gave to him.

According to him, the nominee is an alien to the party in the district and never contributed in anyway to its success in the run up to the 2016 elections.

“Lariba Abudu deceived the Regional Minister and they ganged up against Saaka Sayuti leading to the rejection of Saaka Sayuti as the nominee. We want the nomination of the current nominee rejected because he is not known to us. We the residents accept the first nominee and not the latest one”, he revealed.

“Where was he when we were riding motorbikes and bicycles into villages to campaign? We will not sit down and allow him to come and enjoy the fruit of our labour”, he concluded.

Some aggrieved youth of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) last week Friday went on rampage following the announcement of one Abu Mohammed as District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area.

They broke into the party’s constituency office and a youth centre, scattered everything and set some items including stored party paraphernalia on fire blaming the nominee for instigating the earlier rejection of Saaka Sayuti.

While some of them described him as a traitor, others promised to ensure that he is not confirmed just like the failed nominee who has since been dropped.

The youth it would be recalled vowed to deal ruthlessly with individual assembly members for failing to confirm him the third time.

Saaka Sayuti last month polled 22 votes as against 20 dissenting failing for the third successive time to make the mandatory two-thirds majority as required by the Local Government Act to be confirmed.

As a result, his supporters who went on rampage destroying property of the assembly and holding some assembly members hostage at the district assembly offices have promised to calm down only if the monies the assembly members received as bribes are returned.