Life has bounced back at the offices of both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) located at Sabondjida in Tamale after the scenes of suspected arson in September.
The two political parties have refurbished their offices, thanks to their respective party sympathisers. Sympathisers of both the NPP and NDC, used to gather at the two offices to interact with one another until that unfortunate incident occurred.
However, after the offices were put in shape by both parties, activities at both offices have returned to normal with members of both parties interacting as usual.
One fascinating thing about the offices is that they are places where sympathisers of both parties gather to eat together, chat, play Oware, draughts and super card, among other games.
Sympathisers of both parties go as far as supporting one another financially as brothers and not as enemies. So the pertinent question one could ask is, Why the arson on the offices?
The Chairman of Colba House and an NPP activist, Mr Nabal Abdulai, said all political parties often came to the NPP office to interact with them.
He alleged that the unfortunate incident that occurred was not perpetrated by people from the vicinity where the party’s office was located.
“This is where we all gather to take decisions to help turn around the party’s fortunes, but at the same time, we also interact with our brothers from all the other parties including the NDC”, he added.
According to Mr Abdulai, the party office had been in existence many years before the country’s democratisation and that socialisation among them, no matter their political affiliation, had been the status quo for a very long time.
“For me there is nothing wrong with people belonging to different political parties because it is their right but the issue is how best to comport ourselves so that we do not allow our emotions to override our reasoning”, he further asserted.
Touching on the renovation work, the chairman said that so far the party had spent GH¢3,500 to refurbish the office. He said they were able to raise the money through donations from party sympathisers in London as well as in Tamale. He made particular mention of the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Mohammed Amin Adam, who, he said, equally supported efforts in putting the office in good shape.
“We are left with the laying of carpets, tables and chairs, the ceiling work and extension of power to the office as well as procurement of a television set”, Mr Abdulai said.
The NDC office which was once the Northern Regional office of the NDC had virtually been turned into a warehouse for some of the market women who keep their wares there at the end of the day for safety.
However, after the incident activities there had returned to normal with people from all other political parties gathering there to interact and play various games. The office is now being used as an office for NDC Youth Coalition activities.
The NDC is putting finishing touches to its office and the embossment of party symbols on the building is yet to be done.
According to Alhaji Abukari Chendiba, an elder and overseer of the office, some of the building materials were procured on credit. He further stated that because both the NDC and NPP activists are “brothers and not political enemies”, some NPP activists extended a hand of support to them donating bags of cement.
Alhaji Chendiba said the NDC had procured a new 21-inch television set after the old one at the office got burnt in the suspected arson.
The arson at both offices left in its trail destruction of property running into several thousands of Ghana cedis. Twelve sewing machines, two deep freezers, a television set, chairs and tables, spare parts and other valuable items were damaged in the process.
No casualties were recorded in that incident and no arrests had been made in connection with the disturbances.
Both parties had accused each other for allegedly perpetrating the arson.
Activists of both parties have expressed optimism that the election would be peaceful in Tamale.
The beauty of such interaction among all political party sympathisers at the offices must be encouraged and translated into peaceful elections in the December 7 polls.
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