NDC on rampage at Atebubu

• Posted on March 31, 2016
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

SOME supporters of the Atebubu Amanten Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Sampson Kweku  Boafo,   who vowed to resist his removal from office by  the presidency, yesterday went on rampage and burnt down the National Democratic Congress (NDC) office in the town.

This was after the Atebubu Municipal Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Joseph Atsu Zinaku, had gone to the Atebubu Municipal Administration (MCE’s office) to retrieve the Chief Executive’s official vehicle, claiming it was ‘an order from above.’

Mr Sampson Kweku Boafo, according to information, refused to comply with the order because according to him, it was not the proper procedure for him to hand over government property in his possession to the police, even if he was no longer the MCE of Atebubu Amanten.

His supporters later heard of the police commander’s intention and therefore marched to the assembly and invoked curses on the police chief amid the breaking of eggs. The NDC supporters later stormed the party office and set it ablaze.

When supporters of the Member of Parliament for the area, Sanja Nanja, also heard of what the MCE’s supporters did, they also organised themselves and stormed the MCE’s residence with cutlasses, guns and other weapons and started firing indiscriminately. A Ghana National Fire Service officer, Abdul Kadal, who was in the area, sustained gunshot wounds in his right arm and was rushed to the hospital, according to sources.

The MP’s supporters went ahead and vandalised property in the MCE’s residence, including a television set, documents, fridge, sofa and other household belongings. There were sporadic gunshots in the town until the police came in to save the situation by 10:00pm Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the MCE and some of his supporters are on the run, DAILY GUIDE has learnt, with the police claiming they could not locate the miscreants.

The Brong-Ahafo Regional Police PRO, ASP Christopher Tawiah, confirmed the incident to DAILY GUIDE and said a supporter of the MCE, Ayamba Adisu, had been arrested and that the police were still looking for the MCE. He said the Municipal Police Commander, sensing danger from the youth and with support from some people around, managed to whisk the MCE’s 4×4 vehicle away to safety, saying, “it is parked at the Atebubu Police Station for safety.”

ASP Christopher Tawiah said calm had since returned to the town and people were going about their normal duties. Meanwhile, the police and military reinforcements are in the town trying to prevent any further clashes, he revealed.

According to him, attempts by fire officers at Atebubu to extinguish the fire set to the NDC party office were met with fierce resistance from other party members.

FROM Daniel Yao Dayee, Sunyani