Sack N/R Minister, he is a treat.

BY Alhassan M. Murtala-Tamale

A journalist and aspiring parliamentary candidate for Tamale Central constituency, Mahama Sayibu has called on President Mills to sack the Northern Regional Minister for his ethnocentric comments in 1994 during the Dagomba Nanumba Konkomba war.

He says even though it’s been eighteen years since he made those comments on the floor of parliament, his decision to storm radio Justice, a Tamale based radio station to try to justify those comments last week shows that he has no regret for the comments and could say worse things if a similar situation presents itself.

Mr. Sayibu says as head of the REGSEC the recap of such comments in the media that konkombas are like Israelis and that if you kill one Konkomba they will kill ten of your own has brought back painful memories amongst Dagbombas and Nanumbas who are beginning to wonder whether the minister in this election year can be fair to his opponents.

Mr. Sayibu says if the President allows the minister to continue to be at post, his position as chairman of REGSEC could compromise ethnic and political harmony in the region, a situation that constitutes a substantial risk of threat to peace.

He adds that people have so lost confidence in Mabingba’s neutrality that recently a meeting of Abudu and Andani chiefs addressed by him was boycotted by one of the factions.

According to him, the minister has also gained notoriety for storming radio stations and intimidating media persons, as action that is not good for his NDC party that is still struggling to win the favour of the media.

Mr. Sayibu advises the media personnel not to allow Mabingba to intimidate them since he has no power what so ever to set the agenda for them.

He warns that any attempt by Magingba to trample upon his right as an individual or that of his admirers and sympathizers will be fiercely resisted.

He adviced the minister to rather concentrate his efforts in resolving footsoldier concerns if he has nothing doing in his office.