The Northern regional minister Salifu Saeed has disclosed that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government will offer “big contracts” to only “few” party executives to strengthen their financial base.
The minister noted that executives like the Northern regional chairman of the party Daniel Bugri Naabu will be rewarded with such contracts.
“Our Chairman is a contractor, our vice chairman is a contractor, we’ll give them big big contracts to do jobs and engage the youth to go and work and make money so that life will be more meaningful,” the minister said.
He added: ” We will ensure that we give jobs [and] businesses to some few people who can do contracts and make money to take care of the youth”.
The Northern Regional Minister made the revelation while addressing Chiefs and people of Bimbilla, his hometown, where chieftaincy tensions had prevented him from paying a courtesy call on the Regent, Nyelingboligu Naa Abdulai Yakubu Dasana after three months of taking office.
Mr. Salifu took office as regional minister at the time renewed kingship violence in the Nanumba District capital, where he served as a DCE in 2005, killed 10 people and injured many others.
He was forced to abandon a support soliciting tour to the Bimbila Regent after visiting three Traditional Councils in the region because of the incident. He is also yet to visit the North MO Traditional Council and the Palace of the Bamboi Koro.
At the Bimbila Chief Palace, the minister reiterated government’s campaign promise not to interfere in chieftaincy matters in the Nanumba area but said measures will be set up to ensure development in the violence ravaged district.
“Government will not meddle its hands into chieftaincy things, but government will do everything possible, including myself, including the Defense minister [Dominic Nitiwul] to bring development to ensure that we get jobs for our people,” he promised.
Recently, some residents have criticized public comments by the minister. His promise to renovate a two-storey building belonging to the Saint Charles Boys Senior High School and construction of a new palace of the Naayiri, which were both destroyed by fire has been described as “overly ambitious”.