NDC Office Torched 

From Musah Umar Farouq, Wa
Though the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) claims to have weaned itself from violent conducts, supporters at the grassroots of the party still harbour that mentality.

Instead of being met with jubilation, the announcement by President John Mahama that he has nominated Mr Basiera Saankara, as District Chief executive (DCE) for WA West, in accordance with Article 243 (1) of the 1992 Constitution and section 20 (1) of the Local Government Act, (Act462), the supporters rather went haywire, burning party offices and the NDC Regional Chairman's car.

The supporters took the Stone Age decision, because their preferred candidate – Mr Patrick Pharuk Bandanaa – was not nominated by the President to fill the vacant Wa West District Chief Executive position.

The supporters, who spoke to The Chronicle, alleged that the Member of Parliament for the area, Mr. Joseph Yieleh Chireh, and other power brokers were behind the decision by the President to discard their preferred candidate, hence their action.

Some of the party leaders also told The Chronicle that prior to the announcement about the nomination of Basiera Saankara, supporters of the losing candidate, Mr Patrick Pharuk Bandanaa, were going round claiming that their candidate had been nominated by the President.

Based on this information, they were not surprised at the conduct of the supporters, when it turned out that is rather Saankara who had been nominated by the President.

Mr. Basiera Saankara is a former Presiding Member for the Wa West District Assembly, and was nominated by the President as DCE, in a statement released and signed by the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Alhaji Collins Dauda, over the weekend.

Meanwhile, the police have managed to restore calm in the district, but, according to the Regional Commander, ACP Gariba, no arrest had been made.