NPP, NDC supporters in Mankarigu clash over water system

Some supporters of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) yesterday clashed over the repair works on a solar powered water system at Mankarigu in the Daboya-Mankarigu Constituency in the Savannah Region.

The confrontation between the supporters of the two biggest political parties in the country reportedly resulted in the injury of one person.

MP’s side of the incident

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for the Daboya-Mankarigu Constituency, Mr Mahama Shaibu Obei,  who confirmed the incident to the Daily Graphic, said the incident occurred when some  technicians went to the site yesterday morning to start the repair works on the water system that broke down four years ago.

The supposed repair works by the technicians was sponsored by the MP.

According to the MP, while the technicians were on site working, some NPP members stormed the place to stop them from working with the reason that they had also carried out an assessment on the broken-down water system for repairs to begin.

He said that led to an exchange of words which turned into fisticuffs.

According to him, he sponsored the repair works following an appeal to him from his constituents to help connect the solar-powered water system to the national grid following the extension of electricity to the area.

“I procured the materials for the water system to be connected to the national grid only for some NPP supporters to stop the work,” he said.

Assembly member

When the Assembly Member for the Mankarigu Electoral Area, Mr Haruna Zakariah, was reached for his comments, he said the NDC Constituency Vice-Chairman, Organiser and Youth Organiser came to inform him that they were going to carry out the repair works on the broken-down water system.

According to him, he told them that he had already informed the District Chief Executive (DCE) for North Gonja about the need to repair the broken-down water system to which the assembly had responded positively by sending engineers to do an assessment at the site.

Mr Zakariah said the next day, he and some assigns of the DCE went to the water site to stop the NDC officials working there but they refused, leading to a heated argument.

In the process, one of them was hit in the face and he went to lodge a complaint at the police station.

He, however, said the chief of the area promised to resolve the impasse between the two parties when he returned from his journey to enable the work to go on for the benefit of the community.

He added that they went to the site where the repairs were being carried out in the company of some assignees of the DCE to stop the people working on the water system.

When the Daily Graphic contacted the Mankarigu Police, they confirmed the incident but declined to give further details.