Tamale — The National Democratic Congress (NDC) branch in the West Gonja District of the Northern Region is at the threshold of losing its stronghold in Daboya and surrounding communities as a result of alleged disillusionment.

The leadership and the aggrieved supporters of the party in Babape, Bakarambasipe, Kalampo, Sakpari and Kasatodong communities, who claim to have supported, wasted resources and contributed positively to the victory of the NDC, have now announced their intention to join the largest opposition party, New Patriotic Party (NPP) on September 30, 2009.

In a statement signed by Mr. Tijani Abdul Somed, NDC Youth Secretary for Bakarabasipe and issued to the media in Tamale, the enraged party activists accused the District Chief Executive (DCE) for West Gonja, Mr. Adam Amin Mutawakil, for allegedly denying them some privileges and favours.

They asserted that even though both the Zonal NDC Executives from Daboya and the Constituency Executives unanimously settled on one Alhassan Amin for the appointment of District NADMO Coordinator, the DCE eventually gave the appointment letter to one Madam Constance Abiba Alhassan.

Our decision to resign from the party is also as a result of several issues within the NDC, at both local and constituency levels which we donít want to disclose at this stage, but the fact is that we now feel cheated and neglected as a stronghold of the party in the area.

We will be declaring our support for the NPP on the 30th of September 2009, on the occasion of the election of their polling station executivesî.

According to the NDC supporters, the DCE has since his appointment expressed in diverse ways his sympathy for the NPP followers in the area, and was awarding them with contracts.

They indicated that Mr. Mutawakil had within the last 6 months awarded eight (8) contracts in the district, but almost all of them were being executed by some NPP contractors, including one Baba Issah.

The Daboya NDC supporters have, therefore, called on the Northern Regional Minister, Hon. Stephen Sumani Nayina, the Regional Chairman, Alhaji Sumani and the National Executives to prevail on the DCE to be circumspect in his dealings in order to satisfy the entire people of the area.

The DCE for West Gonja District, Mr. Adam Amin Mutawakil, when contacted by The Chronicle admitted the appointment of Madam Constance Abiba Alhassan and explained that the woman was selected based on merit.

He indicated that Madam Abiba Alhassan had served the Daboya community so well and also doubles as Daboya Zonal Women Organiser and the Deputy Constituency Womenís Organiser of the NDC.

He however said the person that the people were agitating for was not known in the party.

Mr. Mutawakil denied the allegation of awarding eight (8) contracts to only NPP contractors in the district, and explained that the assembly had awarded only two contracts since he took over office, which were under the District Wide Assisted Project (DWAP) and the NORPREP. These two projects, he said, passed through tender and the normal procurement procedure and were awarded to qualified and well equipped contractors.

The DCE was alarmed by the threats of resignation from the youth, but he insisted that their actions could not change or reverse the appointment in their favour.

He said: This is not the first time they are doing this; anytime there is a problem or misunderstanding, they try to use threats of resignation as a weapon to get what they want, but this time it would not work.î

Mr. Mutawakil, who was on his way to Daboya at the time of our telephone interview, promised to team up with the rest of the executives to dialogue with the youth in the interest of the party.