Wa: NDC “Foot Solders” vandalise party summer hut

A youth group of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Wa, demolished the Party’s summer hut recently in a protest to press home the injustices and neglect meted out to them by the Wa Central Constituency Executives.

The group, christened “Saharan Group,” located at Kabanye, a suburb of Wa, with a population of 320 members, comprising 120 males and 200 females, was formed in 2007 to mobilise support for the Party to win power in the 2008 general election, and had been providing its support to the Party despite the neglect.

Mr. Mahama Rafiq, acting Secretary of the group, said in 2009, the NDC gave out some contract works “termed as Job for the boys,” to be given to party supporters, but the regional and municipal executives of the Party neglected the group and gave the jobs to others.

He said the same thing happened in 2011 when they were again neglected and mentioned that the group members used their own monies to pay for party membership cards which had not been given to them up till date.

Mr. Rafiq said their current action was as a result of the refusal of Alhaji Seidu Jamatutu, Wa Municipal Constituency Chairman of NDC, who on four consecutive occasions refused to provide the group with some plastic chairs for use at its summer hut.

The Chairman told the group that it was not the mandate of the constituency executives to provide plastic chairs to youth groups, but went ahead to provide chairs to other youth groups in the Constituency.

“Our action is to protest to the Party our displeasure of the injustices and the neglect.

“It has also come to our notice that the Party executive has been giving party contract works to their favourites and relatives to the neglect of the “foot soldiers” who worked to win elections for the NDC,” he said.

The Secretary appealed to Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, Upper West Regional Minister, to come to the aid of the group since the regional and municipal executives had refused to pay attention the group’s grievances.

Mr. Rafiq warned that if nothing was done within the next few days, the group would decide otherwise, especially to other political parties that care and have a listening ear for the group’s development.

When the Ghana News Agency contacted the Constituency Chairman, Alhaji Jamatutu, he admitted that the group requested for plastic chairs but explained that the request could not be met because funds were not available.

He said the executive was feverishly working hard to secure some money to purchase the group the chairs and urged the members to exercise restraint.

He also said issues relating to party contracts were based on speculation and misinformation and advised the youth to remain calm and diplomatic.

Alhaji Jamatutu gave the assurance that executives were capable and was working hard to resolve all misunderstandings.