Savelugu NPP youth clash with police over MCE's appointment (photos)
Some irate youth of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Savelugu constituency on Thursday morning, locked up the Savelugu-Nanton Municipal Assembly office in the Northern Region in protest against, Hajia Ayishetu Seidu as the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the area.
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They stormed the assembly offices at 6am wielding machetes, sticks and other offensive weapons and over-powered the few policemen who had been deployed there to provide security and ended up locking up one policeman who had refused to vacate the premises.
The action by the youth came a day after Hajia Ayishetu took office as the new MCE for the area.
It took a police reinforcement team from Tamale to fire warning shots to scare them away.
They had earlier threatened to lock up the offices of the assembly if Hajia Ayishetu, whose appointment they had opposed went ahead to start work.
The Municipal Coordinating Director (MCD), Mr. Issaka Briamah Bassantale told Graphic Online that the irate youth went to hide in the bush when the police reinforcement team from Tamale arrived
He said a military team was also sent to beef up security.
Mr Bassantale said he was with the MCE in Tamale for a programme on Thursday morning and so they were not around when the incident happened.
Hajia Ayishetu on Wednesday took over the administration of the Savelugu-Nanton Municipal Assembly from the MCD amidst tight security.
The Northern Regional Security Council (REGSEC) on Wednesday deployed police and some military personnel to the assembly premises with riot control vehicles to secure the area but the youth who were unfazed by the heavy security presence carried out their threat Thursday morning by locking up the assembly premises.
The decision by the REGSEC followed a demonstration by the youth against the MCE.
The leader of the youth, Zakaria Karim told journalists that they took that decision on Wednesday night to drive away the workers from the assembly’s premises on Thursday morning and close it down until the President heed to their request to appoint their preferred candidate as MCE.
When contacted the Northern Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr. Yussif Tanko said a police reinforcement team has been sent to the area to beef up security.
Hajia Ayishetu Seidu’s appointment was greeted with a series of violent demonstrations by the NPP youth who claimed she was not known in the constituency.
In spite of the protest by the youth against her nomination, 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 the special meeting held at Savelugu.
