The New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration in the Northern Region has been hit by a fierce power struggle, with the out-going Regional Minister, Ben Bukari Salifu, alleging that he was being forced out of office even though he has not officially handed over.
Making his first public comment to the press at his residence, Mr Salifu accused the Deputy Regional Minister, Mr Issa Keteku and some party officials including Alhaji Salifu Abduraman, the regional chairman of perpetrating the act.
He said that after the announcement of his transfer from the Northern Region to the National Development Planning Committee (NDPC) as a Minister of State, his deputy had with the connivance of the executives, usurped all his functions and kept him in the dark, even though he had not yet officially handed over.
Mr Salifu said that his efforts to draw their attention to the unconstitutionality of those acts have failed. “Rather, they go about peddling lies that I have refused to go to Accra and assume my new schedule”, he added.
Mr Salifu gave an incidence where he arrived from Accra (to the Northern Region) on Thursday 25 October 2001 to find his office locked and his secretary reposted.
He alleged further that when his official vehicle was sent to the garage for servicing, the Regional Co-coordinating Council refused to authorize it, yet that of his deputy was taken care of. He complained that although he had informed the council of his intention to make his last address at the monthly meeting of the District Chief Executives of the Region, no protocol was offered him. According to him, when he got there, his deputy was already with a speech prepared in his name.
Source: GhanaWeb
