Irate NPP youth lock up Savelugu municipal office - in protest against MCE
Some irate youth of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Savelugu Constituency yesterday morning locked up the Savelugu-Nanton Municipal Assembly office in the Northern Region in protest against the nomination of Hajia Ayishetu Seidu as the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the area.
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The youth, as early as 6 a.m, said to be wielding machetes, sticks and other offensive weapons, stormed the assembly and overpowered the few policemen who had been deployed there to provide security. The youth ended up locking up one policeman who refused to vacate the premises.
The action by the youth came barely 24 hours after Hajia Ayishetu took office as the new MCE for the area last Wednesday, June 14, 2017.
It took a police reinforcement team from Tamale who fired warning shots to scare the irate youth who had taken over the assembly premises.
The Municipal Coordinating Director (MCD), Mr Issaka Briamah Bassantale, who confirmed the incident to the Daily Graphic, said the irate youth were now hiding in the bushes around the assembly after the reinforcement team stormed the assembly.
He told the paper that a military team was also on its way to the assembly to beef up security.
Mr Bassantale said he was with the MCE in Tamale for a programme yesterday when he received a call that some irate NPP youth had locked up the assembly premises. He, therefore, had to call for a police reinforcement team to beef up security at the assembly.
As of the time of filing this report, the police and military team had been able to ward off the irate youth from the assembly premises.
Hand over
Hajia Ayishetu last Wednesday took over the administration of the Savelugu-Nanton Municipal Assembly from the MCD amidst tight security but the irate youth, who had threatened earlier not to allow her to work, carried out their threat and succeeded in locking up the assembly premises.
The Northern Regional Security Council (REGSEC) last Wednesday deployed police and some military personnel to the assembly with riot control vehicles to secure the area but the youth, who were unfazed by the heavy security presence, carried out their threat.
The leader of the youth, Zakaria Karim, told journalists that they took the decision last Wednesday night to drive away workers from the assembly and close it down until the President heeded their request.
When contacted, the Northern Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Yussif Tanko, confirmed the incident and said a police reinforcement team had been sent to the area to beef up security.
Approval
Hajia Ayishetu Seidu’s nomination by the President as the MCE for Savelugu-Nanton was greeted with a series of violent demonstrations by some NPP youth in the area who claimed the MCE was not known in the constituency.
In spite of the protest, members of the assembly approved her nomination on Saturday, May 13, 2017.
She polled 50 votes out of the 64 ballots cast, representing 78.13 per cent at a special meeting held at Savelugu, the municipal capital on May 13, 2017 to become the MCE for the area.
