Salaga Riots: Gov’t Condemns Attack

The Minister of Regional Reorganisation and Development in the Akufo-Addo led Administration Dan Botwe has talked against the actions of Salaga youths in the newly created Savannah Region who set ablaze the offices of the New Patriotic Party in the town to protest after the announcement of Damongo as the regional capital.

Billboards within the Salaga on Tuesday Night, September 12 bearing photographs of President Nana Akufo-Addo were all pulled down by the angry protesting youth which according to them, Nana Akufo-Addo shown bad faith in selecting Damongo, which is an NDC seat, as the regional capital.

However the Minister speaking at the ceremony to present the Constitution Instrument (C.I.) for the region at the Jubilee House on Wednesday, 13 February 2019, Mr Botwe said: “The Ministry of Regional Reorganisation undertook a sensitization programme throughout the regions. In May, we were in Western, Brong Ahafo, Volta and Northern regions. We met all the regional house of chiefs and they gave us advice on how to go about our work.

“We also met all members of parliament from the enclave regions. We also met the president and members of the National House of Chiefs when the Commission was appointed under Justice Brobbey. We also took them to all the regional house of chiefs and had consultations with them. So, there have been very good consultations.”

He added: “The chiefs gave us guidance, they gave us advice, they met us anytime they wanted to meet us, both in private and in public. I now want to single out that of the Yagbonwura, the overlord of the Gonjaland Kingdom who set up many organisations to pursue his campaign.

“After the referendum on the 12th of January, the overlord of Yagbonwura kingdom met all paramount chiefs, opinion leaders and his campaign team at the Damongo Senior High School Assembly hall, and it was a very big gathering.

“He thanked them for the campaign which has been very successful. At that meeting, on his own, he requested that all members of his kingdom should support Damongo to become the regional capital and that he was going to send such a petition to Mr President.

“It is, therefore, very surprising in one of the six partitioned areas where they themselves, on their own, had such consultation and sensitisation, we witnessed yesterday after such a beautiful programme the act of lawlessness in Salaga. We condemn this.”