THE Northern Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alhaji Sumani Zakari, is dead.
The late Sumani, died at 1:00a.m. on Monday morning at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra where he was receiving treatment after he fell sick a couple of months ago. He was 75.
The late Chairman, affectionately called “suffer to gain” has since been buried in Tamale according to Islamic tradition. The late Sumani was born and bred in Tamale and comes from the Dakpema Royal Family in the metropolis. He left behind 29 children and four wives.
The late Alhaji Sumani became the Regional Chairman in 2005 and was instrumental in increasing the number of seats in Parliament in the region from 17 to 22 seats. It is also on record that he was efficient in harmonising the interests of all the factions that existed within the party in the region and supported the party tremendously to win the 2008 general election.
Apart from his political career, the late Sumani was a successful contractor, and commercial farmer with a good number of investments in Tamale including the ongoing plush hotel project in the metropolis.
When the Daily Graphic visited his house in Tamale, NDC party bigwigs in the region, including a former Northern Regional Minister, Mr Gilbert Iddi, the Northern Regional Minister, Mr Moses Mabenba,his Deputy, Mr San Nasamu Asabigi,the Metropolitan Chief Executive,Alhaji Haruna Friday, among others, had gathered at the deceased’s house to sympathise with the bereaved family and witness his burial. Family members and residents of the metropolis, including sympathisers of the NDC party had also thronged the house to mourn him. They described his death as shocking and noted that it had created a vacuum inhis family and the party.
The NDC Regional Organiser, Alhaji Abdulai Silimboma, described the late Alhaji Sumani as a strong leader both in his family and the party as a whole.
“His contribution to the Northern Region and the country as a whole cannot be quantified that is why we received the news of his death with shock”Alhaji Silimboma stated.
The NDC Regional Youth Organiser, Mr Adam Mohammed Abio, for his part, expressed regret that his demise was untimely since it happened at a time when the party needed him most.
“We need him to unite the party and to facilitate the implementation of the Better Ghana Agenda in the region” he explained.
According to Mr Abio, when the party was in opposition, the late Sumani solely financed the activities of the party in the region which the rank and file of the NDC could testify to.
The regional youth organiser further observed that the late Chairman of the party contributed immensely towards the NDC’s victory in the 2008 general election.
“I know many party sympathisers are with the NDC because of him and I must assure them that the leadership of the party in the region would not turn its back on them but would ensure that the foot prints of the late Sumani is followed”Mr. Abio stressed.
According to the Regional Treasurer of the party, Mr Tanko Computer, the party’s constitution allows for one of the two vice chairmen to act as regional chairman until a congress of the party.
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