Tension Mounts Over Skin:

...NDC, PNC Rivalry At Play

Tension is mounting at Zangu-Vuga, near Walewale in the West Mamprusi District in the Northern Region, following an attempt to disqualify one of the potential candidates, seeking occupancy of the skin of Vuga, on political grounds.

The mounting tension in the area stems from the fact that Mr. Mumuni Yidana, a retired Assistant Director of Education and a prince of the town, who is seen by many as a possible successor to the late Vugraana, has been prevented from performing any customary rites that would lead to his enskinment as the chief.

His crime, Chronicle learnt, is that his son, M. Baba, a leading member of the People's National Convention(PNC), during the run-up to the presidential election in 2000, allegedly caused the arrest of the two sons of the late Vugraana, who had allegedly threatened the life of Baba with a gun, after accusing him of being the brain behind the miserable defeat National Democratic Congress(NDC) suffered at the hands of the PNC in the West Mamprusi constituency.

Chronicle gathered that after the arrest of the two, Baba's father duly stepped in and prevailed upon his son to withdraw the case. Baba acceded to his father's request and decided not to pursue the case in court.

But after the death of the Chief of Zanga-Vuga, the current regent, Saamani Adam, who is the senior brother of the two NDC boys arrested for allegedly threatening Baba's life, therefore thought he had also got the opportunity to show the PNC man where the power lay.

He therefore debarred Baba's father, tipped to take the skin, from performing the customary rites that would have enhanced his chances, since he is a possible candidate, .

The regent's entrenched position came as a shock to Baba's father and his supporters, after all the elders and traditional office holders had accepted and given the go-ahead for him to perform all the necessary rites.

Chronicle learnt that Mr. Mahamadu Mahami, the local NDC chairman for Zangu-Vuga, had a hand in the entrenched position taken by the regent.

According to a reliable source, on January 11, this year, the District Chief Executive for the area, Mr. Abdul-Karim, and the Member of Parliament (MP)for West Mamprusi, Alhaji Issifu Azumah of PNC, who were alarmed about the situation at Vuga, met the regent and other elders of the town.

The regent promised to hold his fire, but shortly after their departure, Chronicle learnt, he and his brothers and the NDC chairman, held a meeting after which he (the regent) refused to honour his promise to the DCE and the MP.

When contacted, the DCE told Chronicle in a telephone interview on Monday that he was moving heaven and earth to ensure that the problem did not escalate into a different thing all together.

"In fact I am conscious of the problem and as a result we have already made steps to address the issues," he said.

"We should be looking for development rather than dividing our rank, due to this I would do everything possible to ensure that this particular problem is nipped in the bud," DCE Abdul-Karim assured.

According to the DCE, he has also made moves to meet the two parties to iron out all the outstanding issues and also ensure that nobody takes the law into his hands.

"If there is anything at all, it was his son who caused the arrest of the late chief's two sons, who allegedly attempted to kill him, so why should the regent vent his anger on the innocent father, who even intervened and prevailed on his son to withdraw the case from the police station," a source questioned.

Chronicle can report that if prompt steps are not taken to straighten things up in the area, the brewing problem has the tendency of degenerating into a clash.