The Tamale Municipal Assembly has three days to provide jobs for some hundred irate supporters of the National Democratic Congress; else the party structures risk being demolished.
The jobless supporters who are part of the Gbewa Youth Group, a pressure group within the ruling government, on Monday besieged the offices of the MCE amidst threats and chants forcing the municipal head to seek refuge in the police. According to Joy news, the youth group audaciously demanded that heads of Zoomlion, Metro Mass Transit and the national Youth Employment Programme be surrendered to members of the group
They have also demanded that specific contracts be allocated to them for execution. The MCE has three days to yield to their demands else they will go on a vandalism spree. The group claims they have been deserted by the Mills-led administration, 10 months after assuming office, prompting them to adopt a vigilante approach in making their demands.
They claim their contribution in opposition led the party to victory and into government. In a chat with this paper, the members of the group said some of their colleagues died, while others were maimed in the struggle to bring back the NDC from opposition to power. Those who survived the struggle need to be rewarded, they asserted.
It is not clear whether the party prior to assuming office promised the group the specific positions they are now demanding. According to Mahama Shaibu, some 20 police personnel led by the Metropolitan police commander were on hand to maintain peace in the municipality and keep the raving protesters, men and women � some as old as 50 years � at bay.
The police were asked to exercise the highest professional conduct by the Public Relations Officer of the Tamale Metropolis in order not to provoke the already charged group. In a reaction, the metropolitan Chief Executive promised he will get back to them after consulting with the regional Minister, Stephen Sumani Nayina.
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