The battle for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Constituency Chairmanship in Sawla-Tuna-Kalba has taken a new turn, with allegations that aspiring chairman Mahama Zakaria is using NADMO relief items for political gain triggering a fierce response from the Savannah Regional NADMO Director.
Mr Zakaria, the incumbent NDC Constituency Vice Chairman and one of the leading contenders for the chairmanship, has dismissed the allegations as baseless, insisting that the educational materials he recently distributed to students were purchased with his own resources and had nothing to do with NADMO relief supplies.
The allegations were raised by Tomah Salifu, an NDC member in the constituency and a campaigner for incumbent Constituency Chairman Alhaji Osman Salia.
In a social media post titled “Why NADMO Director Uses Conflict-Related Items for Political Gain: A Call for Investigation,” Mr Salifu questioned whether relief resources intended for conflict-affected communities were being diverted to advance Mr Zakaria’s campaign ahead of the constituency elections.
But Mr Zakaria has hit back, challenging his accusers to identify the NADMO relief items allegedly being used for his political campaign.
He said NADMO does not distribute chop boxes, school bags, exercise books, mathematical sets, pens and pencils as relief items, and therefore questioned the basis for the allegations.
“If I were sharing rice and oil to the students, then I could have been accused,” he said.
According to Mr Zakaria, the educational support was prompted by appeals from parents in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District whose children had gained admission to various Senior High Schools.
He said some of the parents approached him for assistance even before he declared his intention to contest the NDC Constituency Chairmanship.
He explained that the chop boxes distributed to the students were manufactured in Sawla, while the exercise books were also purchased locally.
Mr Zakaria said he also gave money to some of the beneficiaries to support them with their educational needs.
He acknowledged distributing some plastic buckets and mattresses but insisted that the shops in Sawla where those items were purchased were known and could be identified.
He said the intervention was therefore a personal effort to support needy students and not an attempt to use state resources to win political support.
‘Salifu has apologised’
Mr Zakaria said Mr Salifu, whom he identified as a supporter of his political opponent, had since apologised to him over the allegations.
He explained, however, that he had decided to respond publicly because the allegation had already travelled widely and had the potential to damage his reputation.
The NADMO Director said he was determined to conduct his campaign peacefully and without personal attacks, but warned that he would not remain silent in the face of what he described as attempts to smear his name.
“If my competitor wants the elections to be done in peace without name-calling and track records, then he is welcome. But if they want the election to be done with dirty politics, then they are welcome,” he said.
He warned that although he had so far restrained himself, he was prepared to come out fully to expose the record of the incumbent chairman, Alhaji Osman Salia, should what he described as false allegations against him continue.
Zakariah turns the heat on opponents
Mr Zakaria also levelled a counter-allegation against Mr Salifu, accusing him of holding two government jobs simultaneously.
He alleged that Mr Salifu, a trained teacher working at Soma in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District, had also taken up another government job at the Axle Weighing Station at Yapei in the Central Gonja District.
He described the alleged situation as criminal and challenged his opponents to focus on issues rather than resorting to what he called dirty politics.
Mr Zakaria further threatened to demand accountability from Alhaji Salia over NADMO relief items which he alleged were given to the incumbent chairman.
He specifically mentioned rice, oil and tomato paste among the items he claimed were given to the chairman.
Chairmanship battle intensifies
The exchange comes as the contest for the NDC Constituency Chairmanship in Sawla-Tuna-Kalba gathers momentum ahead of the delegates conference scheduled for October.
Mr Zakaria, a renowned journalist, professional teacher and farmer, is seeking to unseat Alhaji Osman Salia, who is seeking to retain the chairmanship.
His supporters have been projecting his experience in journalism, education, agriculture and public service as part of his credentials for the position.
Mr Zakaria also pointed to an award he said he received as the “Best NADMO Regional Director in Ghana”, citing it as recognition of his performance in public service.
For now, however, the chairmanship contest has moved beyond the usual internal political mobilisation, with the dispute over NADMO resources introducing a fresh battlefront between the two camps.
And Mr Zakaria’s message to his opponents is clear: he says he will campaign peacefully, but will respond forcefully to further attacks on his integrity.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
