The Kwabre East Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Nana Assibey, who confirmed this on Eyewitness News also indicated that the police is on a manhunt for other culprits involved in the clashes.

Citi News’ Ashanti Regional Correspondent, Hafiz Tijani, had early on reported that business activities had to come to a halt as shops and schools were closed down as a result of the clashes.

[contextly_sidebar id=”XroLnxA0z8QHJvmVWVz78YUJjqUgY1zS”]Hafiz said the Police had to evacuate most of the students to a safer place.

“Most parents were also seen trooping in to pick up their wards. Residents in the area are indoors. There is a joint police and military patrol in the area currently,”he added.

Meanwhile, the Kwabre East Municipal Security Council has said it would intensify security to avert further clashes between the two youth groups.

This development comes a month after a similar incident which led to the destruction of properties including vehicles occurred, following a fierce battle between two youth groups.

Residents were forced to lock themselves indoors as a result of the situation.

Reports had indicated that the disturbances started when the Asante youth prevented their counterparts from the Zongo community, from partaking in the burial rites of an 18-year old girl by name, Esther Ampofowaa.

The Police subsequently arrested four suspects in connection with the incident.

The exact cause of the repeated clashes in the area is unclear.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post One killed, 5 arrested in renewed clashes at Ahwiaa appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to her, the cause of the conflict between the two groups cannot be justifiable, hence the need for the security to dig deeper and establish the real cause to be able to address the issues effectively.

[contextly_sidebar id=”PcJS4wqxj5pkP5LwVga5zi1K7bOJdNYb”]The MP believes a better probe into the incident will help prevent future incidents.

“We need to find out what is the root cause of this whole conflict, because if we just leave it at the fact that, it was just a young girl’s funeral and one party was refused from attending the funeral and it started the fight, then I do not think it is right thing,” she said.

According to her, there had been funerals in the past in the area that did not result in such conflicts, adding that, there could be a long-standing dispute between the various groups in the area that sparked the recent clash.

“There have been so many funerals in this area that I have witnessed myself, where you see different tribes greeting each other, whether the person is a Zongo person or is an Ashanti. You will see the other parties coming in to help and its something that has been very good for so many years,” she said

Properties including vehicles were demolished when a fierce battle ensued between two youth groups in the area. Residents in the community were forced to lock themselves indoors as a result of the situation.

Reports say the disturbances started when the Asante youth prevented their counterparts from the Zongo community from partaking in the burial rites of an 18-year old girl by name, Esther Ampofowaa on Friday.

It is unclear who the deceased person is, and what exactly might have led to her burial rites being the cause of the violent clash.

The Police arrested four suspects in connection with the violence on Saturday. Two of the suspects were in possession of locally manufactured pistols, while the two others had machetes with them.

They are being kept in police custody to assist in further investigations.

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By: Farida Yusif/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Kwabre East MP wants thorough probe into Ahwiaa youth clashes appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Confusion broke out between the Municipal Assembly task-force and some petty traders at the Agartha Market, after the traders resisted officials of the Municipal Assembly who had gone there on a routine de-congestion exercise

Mr. Nkrumah, who is the leader of the New Juaben Municipal Assembly task-force, accused some members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and some members of the assembly of inciting the traders against the task-force when he spoke to Citi News.

“The problem we are facing is that, when we informed the traders to move from the pavements, our own people within the assembly went to tell them to return and trade there. Some assembly members who say they are NPP faithful are part of those individuals causing these problems. I know them and we are aware of what they are doing to prevent us from cleaning the mess on our streets and in the region’s capital city,” he claimed.

“This [Thursday] morning, I just asked a woman to move back from the pavement where she had arranged her goods but unfortunately, she pounced on me and attacked me and bit my arm, other members of the task-force came to my rescue. I later reported the case to the Police and was issued with a medical form to the hospital where I was later treated and injected with tetanus.”

Mr. Nkrumah added that he will see to the immediate prosecution of the traders who attacked him.

“Those who attacked me and the other assembly members of the task-force will be prosecuted, I will make sure the law takes its course to serve as a deterrent to others who would want to prevent public officials from carrying out their mandate.”

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the area, Madame Comfort Asante, explained that the Assembly will not relent in its efforts to ensure sanity prevails in the regional capital.

“We have not locked or closed shops in the city. All we are saying is that, we won’t allow the traders to sell on pavements, it is not hygienic for the buyers and its not safe for the traders as well.”

“If you take a walk in town you will see the mess on our streets, these traders come as far as onto the streets where vehicles ply to arrange their goods and sell which is not safe for them. As an Assembly, we will not sit and wait for a disaster to occur before we take steps; and  that’s the reason we have taken measures to revive the Agartha market to relocate them,” she told Citi News.

“We are asking them to go there and sell, there is a Police station very close to the market, their safety is assured and those who have not yet gotten a shed, should come to our office and we will assign them one.”

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By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Traders ‘assault’ New Juaben officials during decongestion exercise appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The 85 personnel, who were dispatched from the Police Headquarters last week to calm tensions and protect lives and properties at Dwerebease and Hweehwee after reprisal attacks between nomadic herdsmen and some farmers, which led to the death of some 8 people, are struggling to access water which they say is affecting their work.

This was revealed by the Commanding Officer of the troops, Chief Inspector Albert Abalem, when members of the Regional Security Council visited the affected communities to have a fair idea about the situation on the ground after the reprisal attacks.

Chief Inspector Albert Abalem pleaded with the Eastern Regional Minister and the members of the Regional Security Council to as a matter of urgency provide them with a bore hole.

“The problem we have here is with water. We do not have water and it is a challenge for us. As you can see, it is ‘kufuor gallons’ we are using here. We travel with our car to a far away community from here to fetch water into the gallons on a daily basis to cook, drink and bath before we go to work, and this is not helping us.”

Chief Inspector Albert Abalem again requested for a pick up to help with their operations.

“Another problem we have is with our car, we have only one pick-up and it is not helping our work because when the pick up leaves for patrols we do not have a back up for emergencies so we are pleading with the assembly to help us with a pick up to enhance our operations.”

The Eastern Regional Police Commander, DCOP Samuel Afeku, on his part promised to work on the issues raised by the police personnel.

“I assure you that your concerns have been well noted and they will be channeled to the appropriate authorities to be addressed immediately for you to get whatever you require and to be able to work effectively and carry out your mandate here.”

The Eastern Regional Minister, Eric Kwakye Darfour, also gave the personnel an assurance that the Kwahu East District Assembly will take pragmatic steps to address their water problem in the shortest possible time.

These problems and concerns raised by the police personnel on duty paints exactly the gloomy picture of the kind of problems teachers, and health workers who are posted to work at these deprived villages face on a daily basis.

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By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post E/R: Police officers keeping peace in need of water, car appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Chief of Sayeegu, his brother, the son, and a teacher, were killed on their farmland following the clashes there.

[contextly_sidebar id=”CL18AsAYdYIM5h0RbgcQrD94q7u3bbQZ”]The Northern Regional Security Council (RECSEC), dispatched a reinforcement to the area to avert any spillover.

A joint military and police patrol team have so far picked three persons and retrieved several cache of both locally manufactured and sophisticated weapons.

Citi News’ multiple sources on the ground say women and children (the vulnerable), have since fled the troubled community into neighboring Togo.

A parcel of farmland has been a bone of contention between the two rival Bimoba clans in the Nakpanduri enclave.

Just a week ago, the Jamong and Jafog Bimoba clans in Bunkprugu Township celebrated the first Anniversary of the Blood Burial ceremony which was initiated as a permanent ceasefire to similar deadly clashes in the past.

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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonine.com/Ghana

The post Nakpanduri clashes: 3 arrested, several weapons retrieved appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Speaking on The Big Issue, Mr. Cudjoe explained that, the breakdown of law and order was a by-product of people migrating from other parts of the country to the capital given the accompanying outliers of growth.

[contextly_sidebar id=”rw8lgytB9zfquoIDFPlNTqo87aqH5fbA”]”The way I see this, it is not necessarily ethnic based, even though there have been past records of ethnic-induced violence. This is clearly in the realms of urbanization and the future of the growth of cities, these things are bound to happen.”

Following the clash between Konkombas and Dagombas at the Agbogbloshie Yam Market on Tuesday, government has said it will soon begin the mass relocation of traders and residents at Old Fadama to decongest the area to improve policing and ensure law and order.

But the IMANI President argued that, the country needs to “approach it from purely the rural-urban drift and migration angle” adding that “the decentralization of governance is the surest path to ensure that some of these iniquities are dealt with.”

“Looking at the data, there is still going to be a pouring of people in the cities from across the country so we need to be careful with how to solve this because I am not too sure trying to relocate them will solve the issue.”

Engagement of groups critical

Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku, Dr. Okoe Boye, also speaking on The Big Issue, stressed the need for engagement between the two groups.

“This issue should be dealt with by the law, but not only by the law. There must be engagement as well… we have to do that until justice is done; let engagement be constant.

“What I will propose is that, for the two communities, there should always be engagement. If you take them to Adjen Kotoku and the issue is not dealt with, there will be more bloodshed at Adjen Kotoku. So our recommendations are that the leaders should constantly engage,” the MP said.

Residents against relocation bid

Residents of Old Fadama themselves are opposed to moves to relocate them, as they feel the police service should investigate the tensions and find a lasting solution.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), David Asante Apeatu, who rekindled the relocation debate, explained that such a move will help in policing the area, and guarantee some stability, following the clashes which is said to have deep-seated ethnic undertones.

The community has also 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 Relocation of Old Fadama residents misplaced – Franklin Cudjoe appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The university has banned beauty pageants, town floats and health walks.

[contextly_sidebar id=”FCnBPJkdHDDkbgFEvZi2gobcYAiUNUdx”]Professor Koawo Edjah, the Dean of Students’ Affairs of UCC, said such activities presented an opportunity for some recalcitrant students to engage in illicit behaviour that were against the rules and regulations of the school.

Some students of the University of Ghana (UG) and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) at the weekend clashed with students of the Oguaa Hall leaving three students seriously injured.

The clashes also left in its trail the destruction of Hall and private properties.

The students from KNUST and UG were at UCC by invitation for a “power night” event at Oguaa Hall as part of activities to mark the hall week celebration.

Speaking on the issue, Prof. Edjah described last Friday night’s incidence as “unfortunate” and expressed disappointment at the behaviour of the students.

“Adehye Hall embarks on a health walk and they are attacked, ATL hall embarks on a health walk and they are attacked. What kind of behavior is this? What kind of students are we breeding? Students have a negative mindset on these activities,” he said.

Prof. Edjah said the university was investigating the circumstances that led to the violent clash and that any student found guilty after investigations would be punished according to the laws of the university.

He, however, expressed concern about the posture of some students who were unwilling to give out information on the incident but was confident that the perpetrators would be fished out and dealt with appropriately.

–

Source: GNA

The post UCC bans hall week activities following violent clashes appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

About eleven people were killed and 17 others were severely injured in a renewed chieftaincy dispute between two factions in Bimbilla.

According to the medical superintendent of the Hospital, Dr. Osman Abdulai, most of them the staff have refused to be at post because of the insecurity in the area.

“Today is the third day of the conflict and most of the staff are running away, we tried to persuade them, but they feel that they are not secured and as you know we do not have accommodation in the hospital. We have rented houses within the community and that is where most of the staff stay and from what is happening, they feel that they are not secured, so they have indicated to us that they want to leave,” he told Citi News.

According to the Dr. Abdulai, several persuasion to keep them at post have proved futile.

“As we speak, a significant number of our staff had left, we just have a skeleton staff around taking care of the patients,” he added.

Dr. Osman was particularly worried about pregnant women in labour who are rushed to the facility since to him all the anesthetics in the hospital have left.

“We have to refer most of the pregnant women to Yendi for various complications which we could have handled in the hospital.”

The Bimbilla district hospital, which is a hundred bed capacity hospital serves almost seven other districts along the eastern corridor of the northern region including the two districts in the Volta north, namely, Nkwanta South and North districts.

On a normal day the Out Patient Department (OPD) records between 300 and 350 patients daily but as at 1:45pm on Sunday afternoon only 5 patients visited the hospital, two of them in labour.

At the labour ward, only three women delivered safely and were on admission and 10 women were referred to Yendi for various complications which otherwise could have been handled in the hospital.

Two out of five midwives were on duty to handle the cases that are brought to the facility.

The two midwives are accommodated within the premises of the hospital.

The male ward which usually admits an average of 10 patients a day was empty not a single patient was on admission.

The female ward was not different only 2 women were on admission . The children’s ward which usually was busy all the time and normally admits close to 70 children daily was virtually empty.

Only five children were on admission in the ward. The children’s ward has a total of 15 nurses, only 4 nurses were around to take care of the children day and night.

The hospital also lacks ambulance services.

Nine of the victims of last Thursday’s clashes were were brought to the Bimbilla district hospital. Two of them were later referred to Tamale but according to the medical superintendent, one later died in Tamale bringing the death toll to eleven.

Five were discharged from the hospital and one person still on admission, but is responding to treatment.

Dr Osman, however feared that any further gunshot in the community will likely force authorities to shutdown the hospital in order to save lives of the medical staff.

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By: Mohammed Aminu M. Alabira/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Bimbilla clashes: Medical staff abandon posts appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

About ten people were killed whilst others were severely injured in a renewed chieftaincy dispute between two factions in Bimbilla.

[contextly_sidebar id=”zBEHlZAX76lfridq7yxAEu4iTCBQNV38″]Although more police and military personnel have been deployed to the township to help restore and maintain calm, some residents have fled the community for their safety.

Speaking to Citi News, a worried parent, Mohammed Hafiz said the decision to allow the children stay home from school for a week was a call in the right direction.

“The schools have closed down because nobody knows who is likely to be the next stray bullet casualty and the children are not safe in the school. This is because bullets are going helter skelter around and people are running with guns and shooting indiscriminately.”

“The schools are also at the heart of the town and not the outskirt. It is the life of the child that matters before the education. Even psychologically, the environment is not a good learning environment. If a child is in class and thinking of bullets and gunshots, I don’t think that child will be able to learn well,” she added.

Residents flee Bimbilla
More residents are fleeing the Bimbilla township in the Northern Region over the recent clashes that left 10 people dead.

One of the residents told Citi News that although they are hoping for the situation to normalize leaving the town is currently a safest option.

“The rumours that we are hearing idthat the place is not safe, people still are not ready for peace so those of us who are not natives we thought it wise to go and hide for a while before coming back. We are hoping for things to normalize but the information we are gathering is not good. What we are hearing is that the two factions want to clash again,” he added.

A woman who spoke to Citi News said “I’m leaving for my safety because my family people have been calling me to come home that is why I’m taking that decision.”

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By: Godwin A. Allotey & Mohammed Alabira Aminu/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Bimbilla schools closed down over clashes appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The incident which was sparked by a chieftaincy dispute between two factions has left residents in fear of their lives.

Currently, 17 people are in the grip of the police whilst more police and military enforcement from Tamale, the Northern Regional capital, have been deployed to the town.

But the residents who spoke to Citi News said there are rumor of reprisal attacks hence the decision to leave the town.

One of the residents told Citi News that although they are hoping for the situation to normalize leaving the town is currently a safest option.

“The rumours that we are hearing idthat the place is not safe, people still are not ready for peace so those of us who are not natives we thought it wise to go and hide for a while before coming back. We are hoping for things to normalize but the information we are gathering is not good. What we are hearing is that the two factions want to clash again,” he added.

A woman who spoke to Citi News said “I’m leaving for my safety because my family people have been calling me to come home that is why I’m taking that decision.”

Curfew reviewed

Such sporadic eruptions of violence had been recorded in Bimbilla since 2014, after one of the persons in the longstanding kinship dispute between members of the Gbugmayili gate was assassinated.

The interior Ministry has since reviewed the protracted curfew on the Bimbilla Township from 4:00 pm to 6:00am with immediate effect, following the shootings.

Security Council visits Bimbilla

The Northern Regional Security Council on Saturday visited the Bimbilla township to ascertain the extent of damage last Thursday’s clashes caused.

The team was led by the Northern Regional Coordinating Director who is currently acting as the Northern Regional Minister for the region, Alhaji Issahaku Alhassan.

They also visited the regent of Bimbilla, Yakubu Andani Dasana Nyeliboligu Naa.

By: Mohammed Alabira Aminu/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Residents flee Bimbilla over clashes appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.