The Member of Parliament for Tamale Central and Minister of Roads Minister, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini has stated emphatically that there is no fracas between him and the Member of Parliament for Tamale South and Minister of Employment and Labour Minister, Haruna Iddrisu.
The minister in an exclusive interview with Zaa news for the first time on the matter stated that the perceived long-standing bitterness between him and the Tamale South MP, Iddrisu was created by rumor mongers.
Inusah said all what is going on is born out of people’s perceptions. People engaged in the business of rumor mongering and have actually intensified it, and in a way succeeded in creating a situation that seems to make others believe it has some merit he added.
He said he and Mr. Iddrisu, have on some occasions, sat down and discussed those rumors in the presence of some renowned persons in the northern region, stressing that nobody will benefit from this seemingly worthless fracas, as there will always be losers.
President Mahama last reshuffling effects.
When two elephants fight, it’s the grass that suffers, so the old adage says.Two members of parliament in Tamale, the Tamale Central Member of Parliament , Alhaji Inusah Fuseini and the Tamale South member of parliament, Haruna Iddrisu’s long standing bitterness and rancor have transcended to the poor and innocent people who voted them into power. The first community to bear the brunt was Kobilmahigu and its surroundings.
An ally of Haruna Iddrisu’s construction firm, Might construction company limited managed by a confidant of the MP, Jalil Ibrahim was awarded a contract to construct an about 1.7 -kilometer road from Vittin Senior High School which passes through Kobilmahigu-SSNIT flat and in Tamale south constituency.
The contract was awarded a few months after the 2012 elections at a time the two MPs were not too ‘financially sound’.
Kobilmahigu community’s woes begun simply because of the last reshuffle made by the president, John Dramani Mahama. In that reshuffle, Iddrisu was moved from Trade and Industry to Employment and Labour Relations while Fuseini was moved from Lands and Natural Resources to Roads and Highways.
Hon. Haruna was appointed as the Communications Minister under the late President, professor John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills and was reported to have amassed enough wealth in a ministry many described as very lucrative.
The late professor appointed Inusah as Deputy Energy Minister and so in terms of ministerial portfolios, Haruna was the senior. However, after the unfortunate demise of president Mills, the tables turned for the two northern politicians. Inusah who is acclaimed to be president Mahama’s darling boy, was moved from lands and natural resources, a ministry with supervisory role of all illegal mining activities to roads, and highway ministry.
The roads ministry, I am told by a source is only given to “someone who sleeps with the president” or in the good books of the president. The booty from the ministry was non comparable to any other ministry except communications which is closer.
But for the riots by some disgruntled youth in Tamale who went on rampage destroying NDC billboards and party structures in protest over their favorite not getting any ministerial position, Iddrisu would have been left out by Mahama’s government.
It was rumored that the energy ministry was going to be his, but at the eleventh hour of the reshuffle, chiefs from the oil-rich western region were up in arms with government to appoint their son to head the energy ministry.
The pressure was too much for the government to bear and so it succumbed to the chiefs” demands and appointed Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah as energy minister. He is now the petroleum minister.
Trade ministry was the only hope for the MP of the largest constituency in Tamale, and everyone was waiting to hear who heads it. Luck fell on Haruna when an Accra based radio station, Joy FM in its 6:00 news bulletin announced his appointment as Trade and Industry minister.
The Tamale south legislator is noted for distributingmoney and motor bikes to people especially, groups, while his colleague has been accused of being greedy. The Tamale Central MP nearly lost touch with the people in his constituency because of his perceived greed.
Initially, my view was that Haruna distributing money was an exaggeration and attempts to denigrate the MP until I over heard a market woman in the Aboabu market during a fire outbreak telling a colleague that in spite of all appellations he Fuseini can’t dole out money.
The Roads Minister was in the market to sympathize with the traders for a fire outbreak that had destroyed their wares to the tune of several thousands of Ghana Cedis.
Hon. Inusah after consoling the traders gave cash of two thousand Ghana Cedis to the leadership in the market. Coincidently, Haruna also donated the same amount during his visit.
A senior colleague of mine pulled my shirt and asked, “Ibrahim did you hear what the woman said,?” I responded in the affirmative. She then asked me, “Is dolling out money the best way of doing politics in our part of the country?” I didn’t have an answer to my colleague so we let left it there.
Up to date, no one in the two constituencies including the executives can tell what has caused the bitterness among the two proud Dagbon political gurus whom many young ones are calling their political Godfathers. Rumors have it that the hangers-on around the two MPs are the main architects of this deep rooted problem.
What people don’t know about the two MPs
I remember vividly when I first met Inusah at his private residence together with my colleagues, he told us how he together with Iddrisu, Agric Minister-Fiifi Kwortey and former Sports Minister, Elvis Affriyie Ankra, fought valiantly for the NDC at a time everyone sat on their hunches.
In that meeting, Inusah told us about Haruna’s exploits at international youth forums during his student days and theircourageous and patriotism gave the NDC a new life.
“At that time, no one was willing to speak for the NDC and so we had to marshall support from the courageous party supporters to rejuvenate the communication wing,” the lawyer said.
In that interaction with the Roads minister, he never mentioned anything negative or mentioned ever having a bone of contention with Haruna.
My question is, what will those who have succeeded in sowing these seeds of enmity gain after all ? And what purpose and interest will it serve to see the two MPs at loggerheads? Those fueling and benefiting from the perceived division of the two MPs may think that they will have it easy but only time and their conscience will tell.