Upper West NPP reacts to allegations at Wa

Wa, July 16, GNA - The Upper West branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has said former President Jerry John Rawlings was not invited to the recent celebration of the 20th anniversary of the creation of the Region, because "we could not guarantee his civility" especially when the Vice President was invited as the guest of honour.

"We can corroborate this with his rejection of Christmas presents by the State Protocol last Christmas and his uninterrupted bashing of the President and the NPP Government."

Mr Abdul-Aziz Mohammed, a Spokesman for the Party, said this at a press conference on Tuesday attended by four District Chief Executives, Regional and Constituency Executives and supporters of the Party. NDC supporters in the Upper West on July 6 held a rally at Wa ostensibly to accord the former President recognition for the role he played in the creation of the Upper West Region.

He said the purpose of the celebration was to unite the people of the Region and to showcase the investment potentials of the Region to the rest of Ghana.

"With this objective the whole celebration was organised on non-partisan basis without any party's influence. The issue of NDC or any other party not being, formally invited to the celebration is completely out of place."

Mr Mkohammed said the invitation extended to Mr M. A. Seidu, Member of Parliament (MP) for Wa Central and Dr Benjamin Kunbour, MP for Lawra-Nandom, were in their capacity as sons of the Region. He called on the people of the Region to be thankful to the present administration for being the only one to ''remember our birth was of significance to merit a celebration."

While not denying that it was the provisional National Democratic Congress (NDC) government that established the University for Development Studies (UDS), "we can say with confidence that we defied all intrigues to bring the Faculty of Integrated Development Studies of the UDS to the Upper West Region."