Minority leader condemns attacks on staff of public institutions
The Minority Leader and Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale South, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, has condemned last Friday’s attacks on workers of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) offices in the Tamale Metropolis and the Sagnarigu District in the Northern Region by some suspected youth of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
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He called on the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to call the party’s supporters who were locking up public facilities and harassing followers of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to order.
Visit
Mr Iddrisu made the condemnation during a visit to the Tamale Metro and Sagnarigu district offices of the NHIA and the Youth Employment Agency in Tamale last yesterday. He described the conduct and attitude of the NPP supporters as appalling, stressing that the NDC wanted to see an end to the continuous intimidation, molestation and harassment of its members in various parts of country.
“It is about time that the NPP leadership and, more importantly, President Akufo-Addo, called their marauding youth to order.
“They are not taking over power through a military coup d'etat, this is a process that has been democratically determined. We recognise their right to rule, but we will not recognise their continuous harassment of our party following.
“The NPP has the right to rule, but they have no right to disrespect the rights of other people and they have no right to infringe upon workers’ rights, and they have no right to undermine the functioning of state and public institutions,” the minority leader stated.
Security
Mr Iddrisu also called on the police in the region to be up and doing by ensuring law and order.
“One is alarmed at the breakdown of law and order and the inability of the police in particular, to protect life and property. That is certainly disappointing and we don’t take kindly to this development. They have a duty to protect life and property of every Ghanaian citizen,” he stated.
Police deployment
The Northern Regional Police Command has since deployed armed policemen to protect workers of the affected state institutions in the Tamale Metropolis and the Sagnarigu District.
But as of the time of filing the report, no arrest had been made.
Situation
A visit by the Daily Graphic to the offices of the NHIA in Tamale and Sagnarigu at the close of work last Friday indicated that the main entrance to those offices had been locked with padlocks by the irate NPP youth.
At the Tamale Metro NHIS office, a riot control vehicle and some policemen were stationed there to secure the place and also to provide protection for the staff.
When contacted, the spokesperson of the Northern Regional Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Ebenezer Tetteh, confirmed that there had been a deployment of armed policemen to those institutions.
According to him, the deployment followed a report to the police last Friday by some victims of the attacks.
