NPP sacks four communicators over School Feeding Programme confusion

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Northern region has suspended four of its communicators including a senior member, over the Ghana School Feeding programme which has been under siege in the region on multiple and multiplying fronts threatening to undermine the entire presidency of Nana Akufo-Addo.

From a brawl that broke into the open at a public facility, (Modern City Hotel) in Tamale, between the regional chairman, Bugri Naabu and the Gender Minister, Madam Otiko Djaba, to several violent protests against the minister by league of youth groups, the Akufo-Addo led administration has been unable, in five months, to find a resolution to the confusion that has gripped the programme in the region.

Mr. Yussif Danjumah and three members of the party’s regional auxiliary communications group, The Young Patriots, have been sanctioned for having secret meetings with national authorities of the Programme who were in the region to mediate a settlement between supporters of Bugri Naabu and Madam Otiko Djaba.

The suspension followed an investigation launched by the Directorate after a polling station women leader accused the entire regional team on a local radio show of secretly meeting with the National Coordinator, Dr. Kwame Adu – Nsiah and his team where they were allegedly financially induced to speak publicly in favour of Madam Otiko Djaba who has been at the receiving end in the ongoing disagreement.

Madam Fatimah Abubakari, a polling station executive in the Yendi constituency in her explosive allegation said the national coordinator met the communicators including serial callers and gave them ¢500 each to defend Madam Otiko Djaba and to resell her narratives about the brouhaha on radio platforms.

The disciplinary committee then quickly launched the probe and decided to suspend the communicators after its findings found them guilty of the charge.

It emerged from the committee’s investigation that, Mr. Yusuf Danjumah led the communicators into the meeting without the consent of the directorate. Mr. Danjumah was under suspension in 2015 and has always been defiance to the party regional leaders on several matters.

Mr. Issahaq A Latif, acting Regional Communications Director of the party confirming the suspension to StarrNews said the meeting was illegal and violated regulations of the party. Chairman of the regional disciplinary committee, Mr. Fredrick Tahiru, a youth organizer aspirant, also confirmed the sanction and said the matter was being handled internally.

The suspended members were to desist from holding themselves as communicators and to seize any further media engagement in favour of the party but could do so as mere supporters of the party, according to the director.

This is the latest escalation of divisions among members of the New Patriotic Party in the region over the misunderstandings in the School Feeding Programme, set in motion On May 5, 2017 when Bugri Naabu led a fold of highly charged women to a meeting at the Modern City Hotel where the Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister, Madam Otiko was allegedly chairing a deliberation about the programme, and threw the gather in disorder.

Since then, many youth and women groups of the party have continued to level accusations against Otiko Djaba including appointing tribal cronies as zonal coordinators and sidestepping authority of the regional coordinator, Madam Felicia Tetteh.

One of the groups, The Burma Camp, violently attacked the regional secretariat and put it under lock and followed it by threats to attack zonal coordinators who would go out to monitor catering service providers under the programme.

The groups have since asked for fair appointment of zonal coordinators and caterers and vowed to keep up the protests, plunging the programme into disarray in the region.

A delegation sent into the region by the presidency led by Deputy Energy Minister, Mohammed Amin Anta and NPA chief, Hassan Tampuli to resolve the impasse faced tougher resistance and finally failed to reach a peace agreement.

Tensions almost calmed last week but anger was renewed after the Volta Regional Women Organizer and School Feeding Coordinator poured explosive invectives on Bugri Naabu accusing him of fueling the confusion.

In the coming days, the party women majority and youth group are expected to respond to the insults on Bugri Naabu and continue their protest against Otiko Djaba.