Striking workers of the National Disaster Management Organization [NADMO], in the Upper West Region, have criticized the Regional Minister, Sulemana Alhassan, for shielding hooligans who attacked the NADMO Regional Director, instead of allowing the police to arrest them.
They say the Minister demonstrated that he did not value their lives as he prevented the arrest of some angry party youth who stormed the organization’s office on Wednesday in an attempt to beat up all the staff.
[contextly_sidebar id=”lXMvodjBjcMiPXA0Rcs5IM3mIr2nqRyA”]The workers, led by the Regional NADMO Public Relations Officer, Erica Sieyi, while addressing the press on Thursday morning, vowed that they will not return to work until the youth are arrested.
The attack on the offices of NADMO led to the aide to the Regional Director being admitted at the Upper West Regional after they beat him to pulp.
The Regional NADMO Director, Isaac Seidu, who appears to be the main target of the attack, however, escaped unhurt.
Erica Sieyi, in her address, said, “our lives are not safe due to the attack yesterday [Wednesday] from a group of individuals.”
She recalled that “On the 31st January 2018, at about 4:55pm, a group of people numbering about 30, arrived at the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) forecourt in cars. These angrily looking people besieged the regional office of NADMO seeking to beat up all NADMO staff… In an attempt to break into the Regional Director’s office, his aid prevented them for a short while, but they eventually overpowered him…The police were called to intervene in the situation. They came to arrest some of the individuals but the Regional Minister prevented their arrest.”
According to her, “this situation is worrying, annoying and unprofessional.”
She said the Minister’s conduct indicated that “he doesn’t care about our lives. It also sends us a message that the Regional Minister Alhaji Sulemana Alhassana will at any time choose the interest of some few people over the safety of his workers.”
The NADMO staff, who have effectively declared a strike from today [Thursday], said “until the people are arrested, we are not coming back to work. Our lives are not safe.”
Political vigilantism in Upper West
This incident marks the third major disturbance perpetrated by youth aligned to the NPP in Upper West Region in the last few months.
On January 22, some NPP youth in the Wa municipality vandalized the residence of the Municipal Chief Executive of the area, Issahaku Moomin Tahiru.
The rampaging youth also vandalized the family house of the MCE and two other houses belonging to his supporters.
In November 2017, NPP youth in Gwollu, the capital of the Sissala West District stormed the precinct of the Assembly and locked up the District Chief Executive, Mohammed Bakor in his office.
They had accused the DCE of engaging in “divide and rule” tactics, and failing to address their concerns.
After the Wa incident, seven NPP supporters were arrested and charged with rioting, including the Sissala West Constituency Chairman of the NPP.
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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana