NDC Boys Chase Avorka

RAMPAGING YOUTH groups of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Tamale of the Northern Region yesterday morning unleashed their venom on the regional leadership of the party, calling for the immediate resignation of the acting chairman, Sofo Awudu Azorka. The aggrieved groups, clad in all-red arm bands, chanted war songs and said their patience over pertinent unresolved issues in the party had run out. Most of the demonstrators, while marching through the principal streets of Tamale in defiance of a heavy rain, wielded placards some of which read, �We Are Sick And Tired Of Your Greed And Insults�, �We Are Humans Like You And We Need To Be Cared For�, �We Are Fed Up With Our Regional Executives�, �We Don�t Need Our Regional Chairman Anymore�, �We Need Jobs For The Youth� and �No Jobs, No Votes In 2012�. According to them, they were compelled to hit the streets to register their displeasure following the worrying conduct of the regional executives that continued to shrink the fortunes of the party. Leaders of the group indicated that they could not sit aloof and watch the party return to opposition as a result of inactions of the self-seeking regional executives who had relegated the interest of the masses to the background. They accused the acting chairman of verbally assaulting them each time they confronted him with issues pertaining to the growth of the party in the region. Instances were cited where he directed them to lay their complaints at the doorsteps of President Atta Mills who is the leader of the party. Azorka was further accused of busily grabbing contracts, resulting in his building of a magnificent hotel and a fuel station located near Nanton in the Savelugu-Nanton district. Mohammed Hudu, a leader and spokesperson of the agitated youth, alleged that it was on record that Azorka had boasted of sealing the mouth of the General Secretary of the party, Johnson Asiedu-Nketia, with bags of yams, smocks and smoked cow feet, thereby securing his position as acting chairman. Based on that, the youth demanded that Mr. Asiedu-Nketia come out to state his stance on the matter regarding the alleged bribery items he received to back the acting chairman to maintain his position.They also called on the National Council of Elders and the National Executives of the party to organize an immediate election or appoint a regional party chairman for the region if they desired to win in 2012. While threatening to facilitate the defeat of the party in 2012, if their concerns were not immediately adhered to, they also threatened to embark on a number of street protests. They accused Azorka of inciting the youth groups in the region to vandalize all party structures, including the regional party office, when the suspected killers of the late Ya-Na were freed. The demonstrating youth later presented a petition to the Regional Minister, Moses Mabengba, for onward submission to the leadership of the party for redress. When contacted, Azorka disclosed that the youth groups in Tamale were not the only persons who constituted the core youth of the party throughout the region as they were trying to portray to the world. According to him, the region was made up of 26 constituencies but realized that the youth in Tamale had allowed themselves to be used by some persons pursuing a clandestine agenda. The acting regional chairman promised to convene an emergency meeting of the entire regional executives to look into the concerns of the youth, saying that everything was under control. He emphasised that party activities were voluntary and not a full-time job as some of the youth were made to believe by enemies of the party. Azorka however indicated that he was prepared to dialogue with the leadership of the youth to resolve the impasse within the shortest possible time, to enable the party to get back on track. He dispelled suggestions that the demonstration would spell doom for the party, observing that such actions were part of the incidents that emboldened the party and made it outgrow its opponents.