A day after they were attacked by rampaging thugs believed to be loyalists of the governing New Patriotic Party, some staff of the Upper West National Disaster Management Organisation are up in arms against the Regional Minister Sulemana Alhassan.

The workers are accusing the minister of ordering the release of the thugs who were arrested by the police for attacking the security official of one of the directors there.

They have therefore locked up all NADMO offices in the region in protest against the conduct of Sulemana Alhassan.

At a press conference, Thursday, the NADMO officers minced no words in chiding the Regional Minister and vowing never to open the offices until the thugs have been rearrested.

“If they were arrested, at least we would have been safe because we know they wouldn’t come back. But for the fact that he allowed them to go, we don’t understand.

“It means he doesn’t care about our welfare that is why we don’t want to come to work. We need to see those guys arrested so that we know we are safe,” a spokesperson for the Upper West Region NADMO told Joy News correspondent, Rafiq Salam.

Narrating how the incident took place, the Regional NADMO director Mr Isaac Seidu said he was in his office when he heard shouts and saw the invasion by the thugs.

He said he had to lock himself up in the office and quickly call the police after he realized he was the target of the attack.

Thankfully the police came but not before his personal assistant had been beaten by the thugs.

Seidu said the police made some arrests but later learnt the suspects were released on the orders of the Regional Minister.

This is not the first time NPP thugs have attacked NADMO, NYA offices and its officials. Security experts say the attacks have become a national security concern. President Akufo-Addo has instructed the police to do their job of arresting the perpetrators.

Exploring the motive for the attack, Rafiq Salam said it had something to do with the ongoing polling station executive election in which the Regional NADMO Director Mr Isaac Seidu was playing a role. He is the Regional Organiser of the NPP.

But the Regional Minister has admitted telling the police to let the suspects go he was intervening in the matter.

He told Rafiq Salam he arrived at the scene of the attack and was resolving the matter before the police arrived.

“By the time they came I was already with the people. So I just didn’t want the whole thing to look like there was commotion. So I told the police they were with me already and I wanted to settle the parties involved," he stressed.

He said he agreed with the police to hand over the suspects the following day. ”‹