Northern NPP youth group threatens demo over jets purchase

The New Patriotic Party's Northern Suhudoo Commentators group in Tamale has sent a strong signal to government that its members and other concerned citizens in the northern region will embark on series of demonstrations if government goes ahead to purchase the proposed five jets for the military.

The group described the endless debate over the purchase of the five jets as one of government's misplaced priorities which should be kicked against by all well meaning Ghanaians.

This came to light at news conference organized at an abandoned US$20 million Jubilee market at Kukuo in the Tamale metropolis.

Fredrick Tahidu, Spokesperson of the group reminded government of the numerous development challenges that have engulfed the people of the three northern regions for which reason monies meant to purchase the five jets should be channelled into bridging the yawning gap between the south and the north.

He mentioned the Tamale-Kumbungu, Tamale-Salaga, Tamale-Gushegu, Yendi-Bimbila, Yendi Gushegu and Sawla-Fufulso roads as some of the projects government should execute rather than attempting to buy five jets for the military.

Fredrick Tahidu also impressed upon government to inject the money for the purchase of the jets into the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority to enable the administrators execute projects captured under SADA.

“The NDC government introduced the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority which was a copy cut of the NPP's Northern Development Authority and pledged to inject a seed capital of US $ 200 million into it as seed capital.

“Ironically they have only contributed GH 8 million cedis to it and disgracefully in their supplementary budget allocated GH 5 million cedis and instead of government thinking about the plight of northerners it is rushing into buying five jets for the military”, Tahidu said.

Fredrick Tahidu mentioned the likes of Kwesi Pratt and Alhaji Bature as some “Stomach Journalists” government has allegedly contracted to convince Ghanaians that the country needs the five jets for the military.

“The government has employed the likes of Kwesi Pratt and Alhaji Bature to embark on a media campaign to psyche of Ghanaians to accept the purchase of the jets”, he stated.

He further asserted that the Mills-Mahama led NDC government officials have amassed wealth at the expense of the hard working ordinary Ghanaians whose homes have broken largely because of poverty.