BOY DIES IN FRENZY (PAGE 16)

A 12-year-old boy met his untimely death when he was crushed against a vehicle he was hanging on , during the visit of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) Presidential candidate into the Tamale metropolis at the weekend.
The deceased, Master Muntala Mohammed Acquah, a primary school pupil was buried according to Muslim custom on Monday.
His two other colleagues who sustained minor injuries have been treated and discharged from the Tamale Teaching Hospital where the deceased later died. Master Muntala lived with his parents at Gumbihini, a Tamale suburb.
The victims were among large ecstatic supporters of the CPP who were accompanying Dr Nduom on his rounds on some principal streets of the metropolis after his triumphant arrival as part of his preparations towards the second Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) Presidential debate in Tamale today.
The northern regional organiser of the CPP, Mr Alhassan Basharu Daballi, described the incident as most unfortunate and indicated that the party would educate their supporters against such incidents from occurring in future.
In a related development, four National Democratic Congress (NDC) party supporters also sustained various degrees of injuries, including a fractured leg, after hitting an embankment on the road around the Vitting junction with their motorbikes. They are currently receiving treatment at the Tamale Teaching Hospital.
The victims were among hundreds of enthusiastic motorbike riders who led the convoy of Professor Mills into the metropolis on Monday night in readiness for the debate.
According to the Northern Regional Secretary of the NDC, Alhaji Abdulai Haruna Friday, ‘‘we were simply overwhelmed by the large crowd of supporters who came out to welcome Professor Mills inspite of the fact that he arrived late in the night.’’
He explained that it was in their attempt to avoid such accidents that sometimes during the visit of leading members of the NDC into Tamale, the party’s stronghold, that they suggested that their presidential hopeful got into town at night.’’
Indeed, a number of party supporters have lost their lives through motor accidents in Tamale during the visit of some leading members of political parties, particularly the NDC into the metropolis over the years.
The latest of such deaths occurred a couple of months ago during the visit of the Vice-Presidential candidate of the NDC, Mr John Mahama in an accident involving a KIA truck. Two persons lost their lives while one of the victim’s leg was amputated in that accident. Several others sustained varied degrees of injuries.