NPP divided in the North

The Evening News reports that contrary to official pronouncements, indications are that the NPP is heading for a serious crisis in the Northern Region.

The existence of splinter groups within the party in the region especially, those based at Tamale, all trying to call the shots is gradually tearing the party apart.

As a result, opinion on the appointment of a Minister for the region among the party faithfuls has not been unanimous. The outgoing Northern Regional Minister, Mr Ben Bukari Salifu was the first to suffer from such political machinations. All sorts of unprintable information were circulated about him in the municipality including, leakages involving his official jobs.

A group calling itself Concern NPP Supporters Club eventually emerged and threatened in the 8 October 2001 issue of a private newspaper, to embark on a demonstration on 15 October 2001, against the Regional Minister. The group among others, accused Mr Bukari Salifu of awarding contracts to their political opponents.

However, after several interventions, the group in a letter dated 10 October 2001 and signed by Alhaji Tuuna Yakubu, spokesman and Napari Nagumsi secretary, indicated that they had called off the demonstration “as a sign of respect to our humble and noble Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama”.

The group called on the NPP to do something about the numerous concerns it had raised, and four days later, the Minister was affected by the President's re-shuffle. He was sent to the National Development Planning Commission, as a Minister of State a position most political analysts view as demotion and a "Siberia".

Presently, another group is threatening to take to the street against the appointment of Price Imoro Andani, Tamale Municipal Chief Executive (TMCE) as the Northern Regional Minister.

According to the paper, information gathered by its correspondence, indicate that the group is saying that Prince Andani is too strict and that during his tenure as the MCE, he did not give the youth in particularly, the needed attention as members of the party.

A source close to the MCE and Minister-designate, insists that he would not allow himself to be held to ransom and therefore, he had refused to talk to that group.