Northern Regional Executives of the Ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) have served notice that the party will no longer tolerate the northern regional chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party, Mr. Daniel Bugri Nabuu’s continual fanning of tribal political sentiment in the region.
At a news conference in Tamale, the NDC regional executives sent a strong signal that they would respond strongly to Mr. Bugri’s false charges. Mr. Halid Abdul Rauf, the party’s regional secretary said the NDC does not condone tribal politics and would rather concentrate on what it does best, providing development projects to Ghanaians.
“For a party, we are not interested in which particular ethnic groups is put at which position even though the constitution requires an ethnic balance in terms of appointments. For us in the north, what we are so much concerned about is telling the people about the development projects the government is carrying out in their areas,” Rauf said. “It’s of no use if you have five Dagombas serving as ministers in the NDC and you don’t have development in Dagbon area,” he continued.
Mr. Rauf challenged Mr. Naabi to give a full of the names of Konkombas appointed as ministers, board chairmen and chief executive officers at state agencies during the eight years of NPP rule.
The NDC executives described the NPP chairman incessant attacks on President Mahama’s led administration of sidelining Konkombas as unfortunate and that the NPP cannot compare itself to the NDC when it comes to appointing competent Konkombas to higher office.
Ever since Mr. Mahama was elected President, Mr. Naabu has relentlessly accused the NDC of sidelining and neglecting Konkomba areas, the NDC executives pointed out. Many thought the appointment of Wujangi Kenneth as the deputy chief of staff in-charge of operations will put the matter to rest and satisfy a staunch member of the Kikkpakpang. But apparently that has not changed Mr. Naabu’s insistence that Konkombas are being neglected.
The NDC regional secretary said the only Konkomba name that comes to mind is Hon. Charles Bitim who he said was moved like a ‘musical chair’ from deputy northern regional minister to substantive regional minister and later to a deputy local government minister. This, he said cannot be construed to mean favoring Kokombas as Bugri Nabuu wants the world to believe. It was not like three Konkombas were appointed as deputy ministers and regional ministers respectively, he reminded the NPP chairman.
The NPP Mr Halid explained, appointed less than three Konkombas in their eight year rule whilst the NDC in less than eight years appointed more than 8 Konkombas both as ministers and board members of state corporations. ‘The deputy chief of staff position alone combines three ministerial portfolios’ Mr Halid reminded the maverick NPP chairman.
The regional secretary said the NPP pales in comparison when it comes to development in the area of roads and other infrastructural projects along the eastern corridor where Konkombas are predominant and challenged Bugri Nabuu to dispute that fact.
He also challenged Mr. Bugri to tell Ghanaians what the erstwhile NPP administration did for the Konkomba area and told Mr.Naabu that it would be in the best interest of the NPP, if he Naabu directed his arsenal at convincing his own younger brother who is the current member of parliament for Yonyoo constituency to join the NPP if he Bugri thinks he is a strong force to reckon with rather than engaging in tribal politics.
On the ministerial reshuffle which Bugri Naabu recently described as injury-appointees, Mr Halid said the appointees care less because they have a responsibility, which is to work hard to find solutions to problems facing the citizenry and that the NDC would win the 2016 elections convincingly.
The appointment of social development worker, Mr Abdallah Abubakari as the northern regional minister was strategic and was aimed at snatching the Walewale seat from the NPP and maintaining NDC seats in Mamprugu.
Mr. Rauf allayed fears that the re-assignment of the outgoing regional minister Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru Limuna will affect the fragile peace the region is currently enjoying.
