Sissala East DCE Exposed

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday September 6, 2011.
A RECENT pronouncement by the DCE for Sissala East in the Upper East region that she singlehandedly impounded 700 bags of government subsidized fertilizer is allegedly false.

A Daily Guide investigation has revealed that for political expediency, the DCE, Alijata Sulemana allegedly lied about the interception of the smuggled fertilizer cargo when in fact it was the police that made the arrest.

On Monday August 29, 2011, the DCE hit the headlines when she told the Ghanaian Times, a state-owned daily newspaper that she impounded the truck with registration AS 6032 X all by herself when the driver tried to smuggle the stuff to neighbouring Burkina Faso.

She had claimed that her outfit was inundated with information about the activities of one Alhassan Kantong aka Alaska, a businessman whom she told the Times had been smuggling subsidized fertilizer to neighbouring countries.

Ms. Sulemana as a result indicted security personnel in the district particularly the police claiming they were negligent and virtually incited their bosses in Accra against the innocent officers.

However Daily Guide sources revealed that she allegedly falsely accused the security personnel and Alaska because her husband called Mr. Karim, had also started a fertilizer business therefore she does not want any competitor in the district.

The source said Alaska has been in the fertilizer distribution business for about 16 years but since the DCE assumed office, she had made it impossible for him and another NDC Constituency Organizer who had been in it for about 7 years to operate simply because her husband entered the scene two years ago and she want him alone to be the sole distributor in the district.

It is alleged that she has liaised with the Regional Security Coordinator Rafiu Adam to prevent competition for her husband.

The source said it was a police patrol team that arrested the truck and invited the DCE (as head of the district’s security) to the scene when they were not able to reach the District Commander due to a communication problem and wondered why the DCE could turn around to accuse them (security personnel) of negligence.

Furthermore, Ms. Sulemana according to Daily Guide sources is seriously lacing her boots to contest the Sissala East parliamentary seat for the NDC and would therefore like to be seen as ‘ hard working’ in order to get the approval of President Mills, the party’s executives as well as the rank and file.

It is said that the NDC Constituency Organizer one Razak is against her decision to contest the sitting MP in the impending parliamentary primary so she is trying to keep him out of the fertilizer distribution in the district.

According to the source, the unapproved route that the DCE claimed she ‘intercepted’ the vehicle at about 2:00am on August 20, is the same route she has been using over the years whenever she visits Leo, a village in Burkina Faso where her mother hails from.

Also the vehicle was found six miles away from the scene where she claimed the arrest took place and not close to the border as she was quoted in the Ghanaian Times.

“She brands anybody who deals in fertilizer in the district as a smuggler so that her husband can have a field day in the supply,” the source alleged.

According to investigations, Alaska’s truck had way bills and all the necessary documents intact but because the regional security Coordinator could harass them, they decided to use a different route for the distribution.

The NDC ward chairman of Jawia called Tahiru, a village in the Sissala East District was reportedly even expecting 300 bags of fertilizer for distribution to members from the impounded truck.

When reached for comment, the DCE became upset with this reporter and said “if my husband supplies so what…I can’t talk to you come to Tumu,” and rudely hung up the phone.