Students' borehole painted with NPP colours
In what appears to be a desperate move to win the parliamentary primaries of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the Damongo Constituency of Nothern Region, the Deputy Chief of Staff Samuel Abu Jinapor has done the unthinkable by painting a borehole he constructed at the Ndewura Jakpa Secondary/ Technical school at Damongo with party colours.
This has sent tongues wagging in Damongo in the West Gonja District with many residents indicating that this is the first time they have seen a project financed by a government official but painted with party colours in a public institution.
Ever since NPP won the 2016 election, the Deputy Chief has been traveling in and out Damongo just to woo the NPP in the constituency to give him the opportunity to contest during their primaries when nominations are opened in the future.
Earlier this year Mr Samuel ordered for the branding of a Corn Mill at Grupe in NPP colours with his name inscribed on it before donating it to them. This sparked a very big controversy in the community since the NPP members won’t allow the NDC members to patronize the said corn mill.
He is alleged to be doing overnight projects; bought a brass band for a youth group, laid pavement blocks for a historical mosque at Larabanga, distributed sugar during Ramadan, arranged and was installed Kashawura of Larabanga among others.
Many are asking where he was when the NPP in Damongo suffered in the days of opposition with only a few individuals like one Nana Kwame the Constituency organiser sponsoring the party in the eight years of opposition.
Others are asking why Abu Jinapor will not go to the Yapei Kusawgu (Central Gonja District) where his father is a chief and where his elder brother and former Deputy Minister of Energy John Jinapor is the NDC Member of Parliament (MP) but is lacing his boots to contest in the Damongo constituency where he claims his mother comes from.
One Albert Kassim Diwura who contested as parliamentary candidate for NPP in the 2012 and 2016 elections, and who nearly won the Damongo seat in the 2016 elections has been sidelined notwithstanding his sacrifices for NPP.
Many expected him to be made District Chief Executive (DCE) for Damongo but it is said Abu Jinapor used his links at the Presidency to ensure Albert Diwura never became DCE because that could empower him financially to challenge he Abu Jinapor during the parliamentary contest.
Even though the grassroots are rooting for Albert Diwura, because his humble nature, sacrifices for the party and the fact that he is Damongo based and has done a lot to assist people at the Damongo District Hospital where he works as an Accounts clerk, it seems Abu Jinapor is in for a fight of his life to win the primaries of the Damongo constituency.
A few weeks ago, a group of young men wrote a letter threatening the Deputy Chief of Staff saying “you will be digging your own grave in politics in the Damongo constituency should the position of NADMO coordinator be given to Kewura Jimah”
