Two members of the Coalition of the National Democratic Congress Youth groups were arrested on Monday by the police for allegedly attempting to prevent the handing over of the administration of the Youth Employment Agency ( YEA ) in the Northern Regional to a new regional coordinator.
According to authorities, the young men stormed the Northern Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) to disrupt the ceremony which had already began before their arrival. Nurudeen Weimah and another individual whose name has not been disclosed, were arrested for picketing and issuing threats of violence at the coordinating council.
They were, however, released after a plead by some senior staff at RCC. But for the timely intervention of the police, who had to fire warning shots, it would have turned nasty, authorities said.
The acting regional coordinator of YEA, Mr. Alhassan Umar, was billed to hand over the administration to the newly appointed coordinator Abdul Rashid Tanko Computer but the disgruntled youth got wind of it and stormed the place to prevent the hand over.
Over the past two months, some sponsored splinter youth groups in Tamale have been exchanging words in the media, either against Mr Computer’s appointment or for it.
They have accused some NDC big wigs in the region of denying persons they think should be appointed to head YEA, an allegation the accused party officials vehemently denied.
A spokesperson for the NDC youth, who stormed the RCC, Mohammed Abdul Aziz, who spoke to the media, raised issues of financial misappropriation against the new YEA co-ordinator, who doubles as director of elections and treasurer of the NDC in the region. But the newly appointed YEA boss assured the all aggrieved youth in the region that they will be engaged by the agency in meaningful ventures.
On allegations of financial misappropriations, Mr Tanko dismissed such concerns and stated that he has never being sacked from any of the institutions he had worked with.
