Why The TMA Rejected The President?s Nominee

Why The Tamale Metropolitan Assembly Rejected The President?s Nominee As Chief Executive

Many people who are ignorant of the geopolitics of Dagbon may be wondering why the former Tamale Metropolitan Chief Executive failed to get approval as the substantative chief executive despite the behind the scene maneuvers and the doling out of cash to some assembly men and women.

Under the stewardship of Alhaji Iddrisu Adam (alias Adam Yogu) the Tamale metropolis had achieved some successes in terms of development. With the HIPC Fund some schools, markets and toilets were constructed. Tamale metropolitan assembly won the most cleanest city in Ghana. Even though most people doubted this. For if Tamale metropolis is the most cleanest city then Ghanaians have a long way to go as far as sanitation is concerned.

Against the background of these developments the tenure of office of Honourable Adam Yogu led to insecurity and loss of income among residents of the metropolis. I would give reasons why he was rejected to enlighten those who are not aware and as a caution to succeeding chief executives.

1. REFUSAL TO RESPOND TO LATE YA NA YAKUBU II SOS MESSAGE. - When the Abudu insurgents and their collaborators in government launched an attack on the Gbewa Palace on March 25th 2002, the Regent of Gulkpegu (Tamale) sent a delegation led by Zobogu Na to go to Yendi and find out whether it was just mere speculation or a reality since telephone lines to Yendi were deliberately disconnected. The delegation got to Yendi only to be welcomed by bullets at the Gbewa Palace. The Ya Na quickly dispatched the team back to Tamale and inform the Regional Security Council (Regsec.) that he was under attack Fortunately, the delegation got to the offices of the Regional Coordinating Council when the Regsec was meeting discussing the issue of the attack at Yendi. Incidentally the Regsec meeting was chaired by Honourable Adam Yogu. The then Regional Minister Prince Imoru Andani and his Deputy Issah Ketekewu had all abandoned the region and fled to Accra in the wake of the crisis. The delegation led by Zobogu Na was ushered into the Regsec meeting and they presented the request of the Ya Na for further troops reinforcement to rescue him and the family. The chairman of Regsec Honorable Adam Yogu told them that the meeting was going out for lunch break and would be back at 2.00 p.m. to consider Ya Na?s request. The meeting which was scheduled to start at 2.00 p.m. to consider a matter that could destablise the whole north and Ghana resumed at 4.30 p.m. Honourable Adam Yogu told the delegation that security reports he had received from Yendi indicated that they were enough security and there was no need to send further troops. After several pleas from the delegation he told them to go and he would confer with the security command and if there was the need to beef up the security in Yendi they would do so. Whether the reinforcement was sent or not is a question Honorable Adam Yogu would tell the whole world after government of the NPP is out of political power.

2. APRIL 23RD 2003 RIOTS IN TAMALE. ? Before the 23rd April 2003 riots Adam Yogu who had visited the butchers? shop at the Tamale old market authorized that the NDC and CPP posters should all be removed. The leaders of the butchers and other opinion leaders as well as the traditional rulers prevailed on him to suspend the order. Intransigent as he is and basking with power as the Metro Chief Executive whose command must be obeyed stuck to his guns and would not listen to any body. The leaders of the butchers even told him of a similar event which occurred during the NDC era. The then Municipal Chief Executive Alhaji A.Y.M.B. Ibrahim visited the butchers shop and realized there was no single NDC poster posted. He jokingly asked them to at least paste one even if they did not support the party (i.e. NDC). The following morning he brought some NDC posters and gave it to the leadership of the butchers to paste and they all laughed it off. This was a matured, reasonable and diplomatic politician who knew not to stir the honest nest to disturb a peaceful situation. Adam Yogu the intransigent and arrogant public servant would have none of these. His command was remove the posters or I will show you where power lies finito. Thugs of the ruling party were deployed to destroy the tables of the butchers and to attack them. The after math of this indiscrete action was the loss of three (3) lives as well as burning and looting of houses as well as chattels. T he security forces swiftly this time. Over 200 people were arrested and put into prison custody. Any body who was identified as a sympathizer of the NDC or CPP was a target for prosecution. A dusk to dawn curfew was immediately imposed on the good people of the metropolis for more than one year.

3. SUSPENSION OF PROJECTS- The resumption of office by Adam Yogu as Tamale metro chief executive saw the suspension of projects, which would have added more glamour and beauty to the metropolis. The assembly hall complex initiated by his predecessor and constructed by Consar Limited was suspended without any tangible explanation. The Tamale street lighting project also suffered a similar fate.

4. NAKED SHOW OF POWER ? Due to the stiff opposition the butchers gave him coupled with his desire to show them that he really wields power as chief executive, the old slaughter house at sakasaka which was ear marked for demolition to give way to a mini market long before Adam Yogu became a chief executive, Adam Yogu said a police station should instead be built because to him the people in the community were troublesome and a police station would serve their needs more than a market. The Chogu Na the traditional ruler of that area called him and appealed to him to reconsider his decision since a market would serve them better. Adam Yogu would not listen; a police station was what was needed to subdue the people of sakasaka. The poor people of sakaska and their nieghbours were all denied a market as well as the women who were selling vegetables and other foodstuffs all lost their livelihood because they were all sacked to give way to the police station. Today the police station stands as a white elephant and only The Almighty Allah knows when it would become operational.

5. POOR HUMAN RELATIONSHIP. ? The human relationship of Adam Yogu is nothing to talk about. Even within NPP circles he is disliked because of his arrogance, disrespect and lack of humility.

6. THE VEEP?s EMPTY THREATS TO ASSEMBLY MEN ? The last straw that enabled Adam Yogu not to be confirmed was the wild threats issued to the assembly members by no less a person but the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana His Excellency Alhaji Aliu Mahama. At a funeral ceremony a few days before the assembly men were to meet to confirm the MCE the Vice President threatened that if they failed to confirm the then acting Tamale MCE Adam Yogu the President had the prerogative to maintain him as acting MCE. This unguarded and undiplomatic statement by the Vice President angered those who were around. They told their elected assemblymen not to confirm the nominee and they would see whether the Vice President and the President would maintain Adam Yogu against the wishes of the people of the Metropolis.

To the majority of residents of Tamale Metropolis except the few NPP fanatics and who stood to benefit from Adam Yogu misrule it was better to dump in order to secure peace and security before one could talk of development. The message the electorates told their assembly men was let us reject this autocrat of an MCE after that we can have the peace of mind and security to pursue our lively hood before we can think of development. The question was what is development without peace and security.

This is the brief of the man who was rejected by the good people of Tamale metropolis through their elected representatives. Adam Yogu should not blame any body but himself. As a matured educationist he should have known that he is a Chief Executive over human beings. The people can make or unmake you. Those who were hiding from behind in Accra and directing him to discipline the people of Tamale who are perceived to be troublesome have helped pushed him into the ditch.