Northern Regional Minister Salifu Sa-eed has directed the Ghana Police Service to go after persons who were purported to have stolen some 400 tricycles from the main yard of the Northern Development Authority (NDA).

The Minister who has denied authorizing the carting of the items as was claimed in a letter to the police by the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Alhaji Abdel-Majeed Haroun, disclosed in a statement copied to the media that “I wish to state categorically and unequivocally that, I did not direct anyone or group of persons or company to pick any item from the premises of the NDA yard in my name or the Northern Regional Coordinating Council. For the records, I was the same person who ensured the protection of said items upon my appointment until the appointment of the CEO of NDA”

He has therefore insisted that the security agencies fish out individuals engaged in the criminal act insisting that no one is above the laws of the country.

“As head of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), there was the need for the CEO who had access to me to verify before allowing the so-called assignees of mine to pick those tricycles as claimed.

I therefore join calls for the NDA to as a matter of urgency to open a full scale investigation into the entire tricycles matter, dating back to 2016 in accordance with the laid down procedures and laws.

I wish to also add that no one is above the law and as a law-abiding citizen, criminals irrespective of their political lineage, must be dealt with accordingly”, he disclosed in the statement.

Read his full statement below;

My attention has be drawn to a letter in which the dismissed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Northern Development Authority (NDA), Dr Alhaji Abdel-Majeed Haroun, has claimed that I directed that some tricycles be picked from the NDA yard.

I wish to state categorically and unequivocally that, I did not direct anyone or group of persons or company to pick any item from the premises of the NDA yard in my name or the Northern Regional Coordinating Council. For the records, I was the same person who ensured the protection of said items upon my appointment until the appointment of the CEO of NDA.

The said claim being purported by the letter of the former NDA boss and Kelvin Taylor’s report is false and a palpable lie. This is an attempt to soil my hard earned reputation and hard work. If I was really behind the tricycles pick up, I would have written formally to the NDA, giving clear directions and the locations to deposit the items.

As head of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), there was the need for the CEO who had access to me to verify before allowing the so-called assignees of mine to pick those tricycles as claimed.

I therefore join calls for the NDA to as a matter of urgency to open a full scale investigation into the entire tricycles matter, dating back to 2016 in accordance with the laid down procedures and laws.

I wish to also add that no one is above the law and as a law-abiding citizen, criminals irrespective of their political lineage, must be dealt with accordingly.

Signed
Salifu Sa-eed
(Northern Regional Minister)