NHIS seized by NDC

Johnson Asiedu-Nketia NDC General Secretary Just a day to the 30th anniversary celebration of the June 4 Revolution, irate youth believed to be members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) early yesterday morning staged a violent overthrow of officials of both the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) in Tamale. 

The hapless officials tasted a series of brutalities from the youth who demanded they immediately quit the job or incur their wrath in the days ahead.  

To further ensure that their threats were adhered to, they locked up both offices and chased away any official on sight.  

According to the Tamale Metropolitan Manager of the NHIS, Amin Tuferu, he and his staff were engaged in their daily official activities when suddenly, three young men, armed with various life threatening objects, stormed the office and demanded that, they stop work and vacate the premises.

“They said it was their time to manage the scheme,” he disclosed.

When he tried finding out why he was being dismissed in that manner, he was subjected to severe beatings, but for the timely intervention of other staff, the scene would have turned bloody.  

Mr. Amin, who identified his assailants as one Fatawu, a smock seller, Ragan and Baba, said the group militantly ordered other staff of the NHIS office out and locked the main entrance, leaving them stranded.  

Beneficiaries of the scheme who were at the premises to either renew their premiums or register for the first time were left with no option but to leave for their various homes, disappointed and shocked.

The scheme manager also disclosed that the NHIS office located at Lamashegu, close to Radio Justice, was not spared either, in the attacks.

The zonal coordinators of NYEP who received their share of brutalities, left the Tamale Central Coordinator, Yusif Karim, in a critical condition at the Tamale West Hospital.

Haruna Iddrisu, the Tamale North Coordinator, told DAILY GUIDE that their attackers claimed they were the new officials appointed by their leaders to take over and therefore requested them to stay off henceforth.

“We were in the office working, doing our normal work when some group of people came to tell us to leave the office immediately. I asked them what the reason was and from where did they get the authority.

“They told us they have been asked to come and sack us and that we should do that without complaints,” he narrated.

He said his cashier who attempted to resist the attack, was assaulted and dumped outside the office.

Aminu Fuseini said he could clearly identify four of the more than eight assailants as ardent supporters of the ruling party. The assailants, he said, wielded barbed wires and managed to take custody of the office.

The action, he indicated, was strange, as no one had officially communicated that to them, describing their actions as illegal.

The youth took offence in their objection and pounced on them till they were rescued by some security personnel who were called to the scene.  

Regional Executives of the NDC, when contacted by DAILY GUIDE, condemned the acts of the youth and said it was unwarranted and criminal.  

Mr. Rashid Tanko Computer appealed to the police to arrest and deal with those behind the attacks and distanced the party's hierarchy from the actions saying they never sanctioned it.

“We have not appointed anyone to any of the offices. They are criminals,” he remarked.    

Though no arrests have so far been made as at press time, the Metropolitan Commander of Police launched investigations into the incident and expressed hope that officials of both the NHIS and NYEP would lodge official complaints at the station.  

The Deputy Northern Regional Youth Organizer, Mr. Adam Mohammed Amin Abiu, who was present at one of the scenes, described the attackers as saboteurs of the progress of the region and appealed to the police to bring the perpetrators to book.

From Stephen Zoure, Tamale