Nana fires Minister

President Akufo-Addo yesterday suspended the Upper West Regional Minister, Alhaji Sulemana Alhassan, following the riotous behaviour of some suspected members of the ruling party in the region.

A statement from the presidency, signed by the Director of Communications, Eugene Arhin, indicated that the president decided to suspend the regional minister “pending the outcome of investigations into the incidents that occurred at the premises of the Upper West Regional Office of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) in Wa, on Wednesday, 31st January, 2018.”

The decision comes after angry workers of NADMO in the region had criticized the minister for shielding hooligans who attacked the Regional Director of NADMO, Isaac Seidu, instead of allowing the police to arrest them.

At about 5:00 pm on Wednesday, the youth from the Wa East District, numbering about 30, who arrived in two pickup vehicles and a minibus, stormed the NADMO office at the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council in Wa.

DAILY GUIDE learnt that when the police got to the scene and arrested three persons, Alhassan Suleiman, reportedly ordered for their release.

He was said to have told the police, “This is a party matter. I will have a meeting with them and get back to you.”

The regional minister’s action was said to have angered the president, and so suspend him (minister).

The NADMO staff claimed Alhassan Suleiman demonstrated that he did not value their lives, as he prevented the arrest of some angry party youth, who besieged the organization’s office in an attempt to beat up all the staff.

When addressing the media on Thursday morning, the workers, led by the Regional NADMO Public Relations Officer, Erica Sieyi, vowed that they would not return to work until the perpetrators had been arrested.

This is believed to be the reason why President Akufo-Addo decided to take the action – to send a strong warning to all government officials, who may act arbitrarily.

The statement said the president was committed to the application of the rule of law, which must occur without fear or favour, affection or ill-will, and without recourse to the political, religious or ethnic affiliations of any citizen of the land.”

In the absence of the regional minister, the statement indicated that his second-in-command, Amidu Ishaq, has been asked to act in the interim, pending the conclusion of the investigations into the matter.