The Paramount Chief of Alavanyo, Togbega Tsedze Atakora and Ankobiahene of Nkonya Traditional Area, Nanai Ampem-Darkoh III all in the Volta Region are applauding themselves for averting a possible bloody clash in the areas under their jurisdiction.
This was after some residents in Nkonya threatened the relative peace in the area by firing shots into neighbouring Alavanyo on Sunday.
The two towns have been fighting over land for years resulting in protracted clashes.
The Interior Ministry has since placed a 5am to 8pm curfew on the two towns.
Narrating the incident to Citi News, Togbega Tsedze Atakora said his people were alarmed when “some people from Nkonya Dayi came very close to Alavanyo and fired gunshots.”
The situation, he said led his people to also gather to defend their town.
Togbega Tsedze Atakora who said he was out of town quickly returned “to talk to the youth to go back to their houses so that the military could take control…that was what we did to avert any further disturbances”.
He noted that he had since spoken to the crime officer and “the one in charge of the military there” and calm has since returned.
Meanwhile, Nanai Ampem-Darkoh III, theChief of Nkonya Ahudzo, confirmed the development to Citi News but was quick to add that his people did not set out to taunt the people of Alavanyo.
According to him, the musketeers following a funeral procession in the town were responsible for the gunshots adding that the people had no right to have fired the shots when they had not obtained permission to do so.
“I don’t blame them [people of Alavanyo] for getting agitated but when some of us, the very concerned ones heard of it, we immediately ushered in people to arrest the situation,” Nanai Ampen-Darkoh III told Citi News.
He revealed he quickly “crossed to the other side and talked to the people to calm down”, and then reprimanded his own people for not following laid down procedures, stressing, “we talked to our people so seriously that they should never make that mistake again.”
“People were afraid but we have solved the problem. Those who were supposed to be blamed we have queried them and where we were supposed to have apologized we have done that,” he added.
By: Eugenia Tenkorang/citifmonline.com/Ghana