TAMALE POLICE COMMANDER WAS SHOT AT NPP CONGRESS (PAGE 14, JAN 6. 2010)

IT has now been established that two persons, including the Tamale Metropolitan Police Commander, Mr Abanga Caesar, actually sustained injuries from a gunshot at the Northern Regional delegates congress of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Tamale last Sunday.
The condition of the other victim, Issahaku Walis, who is a member of the Tamale Polytechnic students wing of the NPP, is said to be serious.
He is currently on admission at the Tamale Teaching Hospital where he is receiving treatment. However Mr Caesar, who was wounded on his right thumb, has since been treated and discharged from the hospital.
Meanwhile the five persons who were arrested in connection with the incident are to be prosecuted. According to the Northern Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Ebenezer Tetteh, the suspects will face the full rigours of the law. Their names have, however, not been given for security reasons.
According to Mr Caesar, the shooting incident occurred at around 11:30 a.m. last Sunday, after the police attempted to prevent some unaccredited persons from following one of the candidates vying for the chairmanship position of the party, into the venue for the congress.
As the alleged intruders were forcing their way through the main entrance, confusion broke out and “suddenly there was a gunshot and subsequent sharp pain in my thumb,” Mr Caesar alleged.
The police had to fire canisters of tear gas to disperse the incensed supporters for calm to return after about 15 minutes of disorder. The gun allegedly used in the shooting has not been retrieved yet.
After calm had been restored, the congress went on successfully with the election of a 53-year-old Tamale based contractor, Alhaji Harunah Sulemana also known as Harumbis, as the new Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Alhaji Harumbis polled 210 out of a total of 450 votes cast, representing 68.9% to beat his closest contender, Mr Daniel Bugri Naabu, an Accra-based contractor who secured 139 votes.
Apart from the incumbent Regional Secretary, Clifford Braimah Mahama, who retained his position by polling 244 votes, fresh persons were elected to manage the affairs of NPP in the region for the next four years.
They included Alhaji Rashid Abdul Rahaman COP, Youth Organiser; Alhaji Hindu Abdullah, Organiser; Hajia Amama Shaibu, Women’s Organiser, and Alhaji Abubakari Adam, Regional Treasurer.
Alhaji Harumbis commended the delegates for the confidence reposed in him and promised to overhaul the party in the region to improve on its chances of winning the 2012 elections.
He, however, appealed to party members, especially the youth, to be law-abiding by cooperating with security operatives in the region to maintain law and order, particularly in Dagbon.
For his part, the General Secretary of the party, Nana Ohene Ntow, urged party members to consider the 2012 elections as “the mother of all elections” in Ghana and show more commitment to propagating the party’s ideals to the electorate.
He impressed on both victors and losers to consider the end result of the delegates congress as a victory for the party and for democracy.
Nana Ntow commended the police for ensuring maximum security before, during and after the congress and said “the NPP will continue to cooperate with security operatives in the country to make Ghana a safe haven for all”.