NPP condemns acts of violence in Dagbon

Accra, Oct. 25, GNA - Mr Mustapha Abdul Hamid, New Patriotic Party (NPP) Youth Leader, on Monday condemned all acts of violence, especially in Dagbon and called on the Police to deal with those who fell foul of the law irrespective of their party colours.

He made the call at a press conference to deny the NPP's involvement in the recent shooting incident, which resulted in the death of a 14 year-old-boy, wearing National Democratic Congress (NDC) T-shirt.

Mr Hamid stated that not only was it false that Baba Nkarbo, an NPP activist, shot the boy, but he also claimed that the deceased was a full grown registered voter, whose records could be verified from the Electoral Commission.

"The deceased belonged to one of the NDC's violence machinery called 'Aluta Boys' - we believe that the deceased might have died from bullets fired by one of his own, as NDC thugs are the ones known in Tamale to brandish their weapons openly in utter contempt of the law." Mr Hamid called on the Police to expedite action on investigations regarding the death of the boy so as to spare Baba Nkarbo and Nuhu Nkarbo unnecessary trauma in prison custody; as there was no proof that they shot the boy.

He alleged that the NPP had unimpeachable evidence that the NDC had a documented plan to use Dagbon as a platform for violence during the elections and that it was while the "Aluta Boys" were on their way to execute a phase of that plan that the NDC thug met his untimely death. "For peace to hold in Dagbon, the NDC must as a matter of urgency disarm its radical and lawless youth with immediate effect and publicly renounce violence."

Mr Hamid also called for the immediate transfer of the Police Regional Crime Officer from Tamale, saying that his continuous presence in Tamale was a threat to the people of the Region.

He alleged that the Regional Crime Officer and indeed the Police Service in Tamale had been silent collaborators of the NDC instead of working as servants of the State protecting the national interest. The Police Public Relations Directorate told the GNA that it was not aware of any complaint on the issues by the NPP.

He acknowledged that the situation in Dagbon affected the whole country and urged all Ghanaians to take active and unbiased interest in the Tamale and Dagbon, especially in the run-up to the elections. Mr Clifford Braimah, NPP Northern Regional Secretary, told the GNA that though the NPP would not issue an ultimatum, "it must be known that self-defence is not a crime and NPP members will not continue to remain victims of the violent acts of NDC members".