At a press conference on Thursday, the Secretary of the Old Fadama Development Association, Fredrick Opoku, said the police should be focusing on addressing the core tensions, which he intimated were deep seated in the Northern Region.

[contextly_sidebar id=”33QXZ69BMuyer7di1uAKaEF6HYnocyKt”]The Inspector General of Police (IGP), David Asante Apeatu on Wednesday explained that, relocating residents of Old Fadama will help in the policing of the area and guarantee some stability following the clashes which claimed two lives.

The IGP noted that, the unfavourable terrain of Ghana’s biggest slum made policing and intelligence gathering there difficult.

But Mr. Opoku said, “I think the IGP is wrong this time and I think we have to sit and resolve the matter at the core of the issue and I can tell you that relocation is never the issue. If you move Konkombas here and Dagombas there, what about the rest?”

“If they are not ready, they should let us sit down around a table and discuss issues that can resolve the matter because this is a very sensitive issue that is brewing up in the North so we shouldn’t talk about relocation now. The IGP should sit up and let us come to the table to talk about the issue.”

In any case, Mr. Opoku said there were human right issues to be taken into account before any relocation, but expressed doubts that government has any well-structured plan for the relocation.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Moving us won’t solve tensions – Old Fadama residents fume appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Speaking at a press conference at the Police Headquarters in Accra, the IGP noted that, the unfavourable terrain of Ghana’s biggest slum made policing and intelligence gathering difficult.

He was speaking after clashes between Konkombas and Dagombas at the Agbogbloshie Yam Market on Tuesday left two dead and others injured.

Reports indicated that, some members of the feuding sides were wielding assault rifles, and the Member of Parliament for the Odododiodio Constituency, where the area falls, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, has lamented the proliferation of illicit arms in the slum.

COP Apeatu  said the nature of the Old Fadama slum had prompted previous attempts to relocate the residents but to no avail.

“It is not very easy at all to gather the intelligence that we may require. We are aware that some crimes are being committed in there and it is such a difficult terrain,” he noted.

Thus the IGP said a major solution to the problem presented by Old Fadama “is for us to ensure that the people are relocated.”

“With intelligence, we may gather it, but for 100 percent, we are unable to achieve. These are some of the lapses in intelligence gathering that occasionally we encounter.”

IGP to meet Dagomba, Konkomba leaders

The Minister for the Interior, Ambrose Derry, has directed COP Apeatu, to meet with the leaders of the Dagombas and Konkombas at Agbogbloshie in Accra today [Thursday].

The Interior Minister said the meeting would afford the feuding factions the opportunity to present their grievances to the security agencies for an amicable solution to be fashioned out.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Relocating Old Fadama residents will ensure stability – IGP appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.