Abu Ramadam Incurs Wrath Of Youth Over Airport Comments

The Peoples National Convention (PNC) National Youth Organizer has incurred the wrath of majority of people in the Northern Region over his recent comment that residents of the north do not need an international airport. Abu Ramadan on Wednesday� edition of the point blank segment of Citi Eyewitness News described as a �misplaced priority� government�s decision to upgrade the Tamale Airport to international standard. Speaking in his capacity as a leading member of pro New Patriotic Party (NPP) pressure group, Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG), Abu Ramadan defended his position. In a reaction, a cross section of residents of the Northern Regional capital Tamale lambasted and demanded an unqualified apology from him. On the airwaves of some Tamale based radio stations (Thursday), some serial callers as well as panelists of the various morning shows heavily descended on Abu Ramadan. Whilst some described his comment as unwarranted, others thought Abu Ramadan underrated the development priorities of people in the Northern Region. Meanwhile, the Regional Executive Committee of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) in a Citi News interview claimed Abu Ramadan�s comment was meant to satisfy his paymasters in the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP). The NDC regional Communications Officer, Abdul-Mumin Alhassan Fuseini explained, �Not too long ago, precisely on the 17/09/2014, one Alhaji Umar Bodinga, the first vice Chairman of NPP in the Eastern Region ignorantly and callously made statements to the effect that the upgrading of the Tamale Airport to an international status is a misplaced priority and the NPP does not support it.� He further recalled, �This was reechoed by Nana Akomea, the national communications Director of the NPP and repeated by Michael Omari Wadie on TV Gold.� Abdul-Mumin Alhassan Fuseini added that, �One boy called Abu Ramadan who is said to be the national youth Organizer of the PNC shamelessly repeated the said unfortunate comments by his paymasters.� He called the bluff of Abu Ramadan and implored national leadership of the PNC to disassociate itself from his comment. �We want to believe that this statement does not reflect the official position of the PNC and we therefore call on leadership of the party to distance themselves from his comment.� In a sharp rebuttal, the PNC Northern Regional Communications Director, Seidu Abdulai Napodoo advised Abu Ramadan�s critics not to misinterpret his comment to mean the exact position of the party on the upgrading of the Tamale Airport to international standard. Nonetheless, Seidu Abdulai Napodoo accused the John Mahama led NDC administration of doing little to bridge the developmental gap between northern and southern Ghana. �The upgrading of Tamale Airport into international standard is of importance to us in the PNC in the region and we believe that it is long overdue: however we also acknowledge the fact that the suffering of the people in the north here should also be concerned to all well meaning Ghanaians.� He buttressed his point, �The youth unemployment in the three northern regions is increasing day in and day out: the women are suffering, the growth rate of agriculture is declining unprecedentedly and major roads linking to district capitals are also in deplorable state.� Seidu Abu Napodoo criticized President John Dramani Mahama on his two years stay in office. �The two years of President Mahama�s government is not favoring we the people in the Northern Region here and we are pleading to the NDC government to develop the lives of Ghanaians: we voted them into office to come and better our lives but what we are seeing now is something that is bordering us.�