NPP condemns Salaga mayhem

The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Northern Regional Secretariat has condemned the skirmishes in Salaga Township following the naming of Damongo as the Savannah Regional capital.

Some irate youth of the area in protest went on rampage soon after the official announcement and set ablaze the Salaga South constituency office.

They also destroyed other paraphernalia and attempted burning the District Chief Executive's official residence.

Seven suspects have been picked up to assist the police in their investigations.

The NPP's regional secretariat in a news statement condemned that dastardly act and described the development as needless.

The Regional Secretary, Sulley Sambian said the issue should be depoliticised and urged the security operatives to be extra vigilante.

"It must be underscored that the exercise of the executive powers of the state is vested in the President for and on behalf of the people of Ghana. The creation of regions and deciding on their capital towns is the exercise of that executive power."

"You cannot question the executive powers of the President by violent or unlawful means. You cannot question executive acts by recourse to arson. No decent practitioner or adherent of democracy will condone this! Indeed recourse to crime and violence as a way of ventilating our grievances is never conducive to the agenda of the NPP in this region."

He emphasized that, "In the light of the foregoing, the party in the region does not only condemn the actions of the youth, of whatever political coloration, but will stand by to assist the police in their investigations."

"For the avoidance of doubt, the party in the region will not offer refuge if any of our members are involved in this dastardly act, and no member of the party should even dream of seeking asylum from the party."

He advised the youth of Salaga to exercise maximum restraint in addressing their grievances.

According to him, the creation of the new regions is to decentralise governance and create more opportunities for the youth.

"One would have thought that gratitude would have been expressed by the people of Salaga rather than what we witnessed yesterday."

"The people along the Savanna enclave of the Northern Region had over 50 years clamoured for a region. Past governments failed them. They did not even get their political wishes for a region of their own when one of their own was the first gentleman of the land. To destroy a party office is extremely unfortunate."

"We are standing by as a party to help in whatever form in the investigations."
The Savannah and North East Regions have been carved out of the existing Northern Region.

Nalerigu is the North East Regional capital and Damongo is the Savannah Regional capital.