Carnival greets Upper West Regional Minister's reinstatement in Wa

A carnival was held at the Upper West Regional headquarters of the New Patriotic Party in Wa on Friday when news of the reinstatement of regional minister, Alhaji Sulemana Alhassan.

A hurriedly-arranged news conference in Wa saw a mix of youth, old persons and youngsters massing up at the party office where officials thanked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for "listening" to their pleas.

Spokesman for the Concerned Youth of Upper West Region, Isaac Johnson Bafiina, said the reinstatement of Alhaji Alhassan was a clear demonstration of the president's willingness to give an ear to the masses.

The minister was absent at the event as he was said to be on his way back from Accra.

Mr Bafiina said the Minister had demonstrated an astute administrative character to move the region forward before his suspension intervened.

Speeches were generally drowned by the cacophony of singing voices of excited youth.

Alhaji Alhassan was suspended in January this year when he was alleged to have intervened in the lawful arrest of some party faithful who had supposedly stormed the premises of the Regional Coordinating Council seeking to attack the regional boss of the national disaster and management organisation (NADMO).

Nine of those persons are still being tried at the circuit court in Wa.

The news of his reinstatement hit town late afternoon when an official statement from the Jubilee House in Accra was released to that effect.

This had been rumoured earlier in the week, and when the then suspended minister travelled to Accra in the company of some respected persons in traditional circles, the rumour began to gain weight.

So the youth led the celebrations with horn-tooting amidst the familiar motorbike displays on the principal streets of Wa.

New party chairman, Mr Saanbaye Basilide Kangberee, expressed the party's gratitude to the president, and appealed to everyone to come on board to help develop the region.