The leadership of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is demanding swift investigations into the murder of the Daffiama-Busie-Issa constituency chairman of the party, Mr. Richard Bayiviala Polibong.
At a press conference held in Wa on Thursday, the group said the gruesome murder of the chairman is a mark of the deplorable security situation in the region and the country at large.
The Upper West Regional Communication Officer of the NDC, Prosper Puo-ire, addressing the media, called on the government to rise up to the task of guaranteeing the peace of the country and the security of the citizenry.
“We wish to bemoan the very deplorable security situation in our country at large and the Upper West region in particular. We acknowledge and appreciate the steps being taken by the police in the region on the insecurity menace. However, we call out separately for them to pursue these cases with all their vigour and bring the perpetrators of such crimes to book”.
The party called on the rank and file of the party to remain calm for the police to unravel and apprehend the perpetrators of the murdered chairman.
NDC mourns constituency chairman
The National leadership of the NDC have also been thrown in a state of mourning following the death of their constituency chairman.
The party’s Deputy General Secretary, Peter Boamah Otukonor told Citi News the deceased was a very committed and s hardworking leader within the party.
He said Mr. Polibong until his death had been an icon in the party especially within the constituency where party members and other executives relied on him for all forms of assistance.
“It is a very sad news. Our constituency chairman is a very hardworking and committed chairman and he has been the pillar of the NDC in that constituency for a very long. Most people in that constituency rely on him for so many things. The fatherly role that he played for even the constituency executives cannot be overemphasized. It is rather a sad incident,” he said.
Reports say Richard Bayiviala Polibong was travelling to Wa after attending a funeral when the assailants opened fire on him in a car near Sagu, a village in the Wa municipality.
The Upper West Regional Police PRO, Inspector Ohene Boateng, confirmed reports that four armed men tried to stop the car.
The driver, who is on admission at the hospital and responding to treatment, ignored the calls to stop the car.
Inspector Ohene Boateng told the press that “swift investigations are underway to arrest the perpetrators.”
Though police suspect this was a robbery attack, he said: “for now, nothing has come out” indicating that “they [the gunmen] were not able able to take a penny or a pesewa from them.”
Inspector Ohene Boateng also refuted fears that the attack was politically motivated saying, “we won’t affiliate anything to any political aspect for now.”
There are suggestions that the incident may purely be a case of armed robbery.
Family’s scepticism
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the family of the late constituency, chairman, Abugiri Desmond, has called on police to ensure a thorough investigation into the killing.
He said he did not believe reports that this may have been a robbery attack.
“We the NDC in the region are demanding that a thorough investigation be conducted into the circumstances that led to his death especially since the armed robbers did not take anything from the occupants of the vehicle…We still don’t believe that indeed there are genuine armed robbers that were looking for a booty.”
