TENSION MOUNTS IN WA EAST NDC (PAGE 12, JAN 26, 2011)

TENSION is mounting within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Wa East constituency of the Upper West Region.
The situation has resulted in divisions with one group supporting the District Chief Executive(DCE), Mr. Ameen Salifu, and the other behind the assembly member for the Bulenga electoral area and an aspirant on the ticket of the NDC in the Wa East constituency, Mr Seidu Mohammed Saani.
Mr Salifu was the parliamentary candidate for the NDC in the 2008 general election.
An end of year party organised by the constituency executive last Saturday was almost marred when an alleged supporter of Mr Salifu, one Latif from Goripie attacked one of Mr Saani's followers called Muhamuda Umar.
Umar who sustained bruises on his face was treated and discharged at the Wa Islamic Hospital.
According to Umar, in the course of the party the master of ceremonies deliberately refused to call Mr Saani when it was time for optional speeches.
He said Mr Saani and his followers protested vehemently and decided to walk out of the programme, but were later prevailed upon by the Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Ceaser Kale to come back.
“After being given the opportunity to talk, Mr Saani apologised to the dignitaries present and decided not to say anything further, after which we decided to go out again only for Latif to come from nowhere to attack and assault me,” he told the Daily Graphic.
Mr Umar accused the DCE for lack of respect and indicted him of engaging in acts that had affected the reputation of the party and called for disciplinary action to be taken against him.
He said the actions of the DCE contravened the 2008 Better Ghana manifesto of the NDC, particularly on transparency and accountable governance as well as corporate governance.
“Multiple efforts were made to bring him to order by the NDC regional and constituency executive including the recent committee tasked to assess the performances of DCE’s in the Upper West region but these have not deterred him from misconducting himself,” he added.
When contacted, however, the DCE described the allegations as fabricated lies being churned out by the faceless and unconstitutional group who wanted to dent his reputation.
The DCE said those who wrote to the committee tasked to assess the performance of DCE’s in the region and the Wa East in particular did so out of desperation as they vied for the position of the DCE and lost.
He called on the hierarchy of the party in the region to bring the group to order so as to pave the way for party unity and cohesion.
For his part, Mr Ceaser Kale told the Daily Graphic that moves were under way to reconcile all factions within the party before serious campaigning starts towards next year’s general elections.
That, he said, would enable the party to remain focused and recapture all lost seats in the region.