The youth of Ntruboman in the Nkwanta South Municipality of the Oti Region have expressed deep frustration over what they describe as a long-standing pattern of neglect and exclusion from political appointments by successive National Democratic Congress (NDC) governments.

At a press conference held on Friday, April 4, the visibly disgruntled Ntruboman community, dressed in red as a sign of protest, accused the NDC of consistently sidelining the Ntruboman people in government appointments despite their unwavering loyalty to the party.

The group congratulated President John Dramani Mahama and Nkwanta South MP Geoffrey Kini on their electoral victories in 2024 and acknowledged the recent appointment of Mr. Joseph Antwi as Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Nkwanta South.

However, they expressed disappointment that, once again, a qualified Ntrubo candidate was overlooked.

According to the conveners, since the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1992, no member of the Ntrubo ethnic group has ever been appointed as MCE or to any significant political office under an NDC government. In contrast, they cited appointments given to members of other indigenous groups in the municipality, including the Adele, Akyode, and Challa communities.

“The Akyodes have held the MCE position four times, including appointments as a Deputy Minister and a Deputy GETfund Administrator under NPP governments.

Meanwhile, the Ntrubos, despite our overwhelming support for the NDC, have nothing to show,” lamented one of the conveners.

The group presented voting statistics from the 2024 elections, highlighting that the Ntrubo areas delivered an overwhelming 81.34% of votes to the NDC, compared to 16.07% from Akyode areas, and 74.86% from Adele communities.

Despite such numbers, the youth believe their political loyalty has not been acknowledged or rewarded appropriately.

They also criticized what they described as last-minute political maneuvering that led to the removal of strong Ntrubo candidates from the final list of MCE nominations, alleging interference by powerful party figures at the national level.

“The Ntrubo people feel neglected, denied, and mistreated by the NDC.

After all our years of loyalty, we are being taken for granted,” said Mr Frank Yeboah, one of the lead conveners.

The youth warned that the growing disillusionment could affect the party's support base in future elections if concrete steps are not taken to address their concerns.

The group issued a four-point demand to the NDC leadership and government, calling for:

Immediate appointment of Ntrubo citizens to key government positions.

Construction of critical roads linking Brewaniase, Pusupu, Akyem Ntrubo, Bontibor, and Salifukrom.

Creation of the Ntrubo District to promote administrative independence and development.

Establishment of a teacher training or nursing college in Ntruboman to boost local education and employment.

They concluded by appealing to President Mahama, the NDC National Chairman, the Oti Regional Minister, and the party's regional and constituency executives to take swift action to address their grievances and restore the goodwill the party has traditionally enjoyed in Ntruboman.

“We are not against the recently nominated MCE,” the group clarified. “Our call is for fairness, equity, and recognition of the Ntrubo people’s contributions to the NDC’s success.”