NDC FACTIONS MUST BURY DIFFERENCES (PAGE 14, MAY 21, 2010)

THE acting Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Moses Bukari Mabengba, has called on all factions involved in the rumpus in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the region to bury their differences and come to a compromise.
That, he said, was the only way to create the required atmosphere to resolve intra-party problems and continue with the development agenda of the region.
Mr Mabengba made the call when he met members of the Upper West Regional Local Council of Churches at the Conference Room of the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) in Wa.
He called on the people to come to terms with the principle that there must always be one leader at a time, adding, “The Upper West, which is the youngest region, used to be the most peaceful, but in recent times we have not had the peace we are all yearning for.”
He appealed to the clergy to use their influence in society to intercede, both spiritually and physically, when the need arose.
Mr Mabengba further appealed to the people to unite to fight poverty, disease and squalor which, according to him, were the common enemies of the three northern regions, instead of fighting among themselves.
Mr Mabengba took oversight responsibility of the Upper West Region after the dismissal of the substantive regional minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid, last week Tuesday by the President.
He will be acting as Upper West Regional Minister until a substantive Regional M
inister is appointed.
He arrived in Wa last Sunday and has since met with the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), heads of departments, the leadership and members of the NDC, as well as the former regional minister.
He also called on the Regional Chief Imam, Alhaji Issahaque Yakubu, and asked for his support and prayers.
Mr Mabengba told the clergy that his mission to the region was not because he had a magic wand to deal with all the problems there, adding, “Perhaps being a minister in a conflict-prone region, may be the President thought I could bring these experiences to bear on the Upper West.”
The Chairman of the Local Council of Churches and Head Pastor of the Fountain Gate Chapel in Wa, Rev Ben Ancheba, in his response, called for transparency on the part of political leaders in their dealings.
“Leaders must begin to open up. Very often you know people who you could easily call on but the moment they get into political positions, they are clouded with some kind of mystery,” he said.
On the recent disturbances by some irate NDC youth in the region, he called for patience and urged all to keep praying for the region and the country at large.
He attributed the disturbances to the lack of understanding of the governance process and ignorance on the part of the people.
Other speakers advised political parties to set up prayer groups to intercede spiritually on behalf of governments and the parties, while others thought the incident was an eye opener which would push political leaders to open up and engage more people at the grass roots.