Tension Mounts At Asutsuare

Tension is again mounting at Asutsuare in the Eastern Region, following the forcible takeover of farms by groups who claim they have nowhere else to farm.

Such is the looming danger that the District Chief Executive (DCE) of DangmeWest, Mr. K.T. K. Agban, has started moves to reconcile the opposing factions ahead of the proposed government committee of enquiry.

The DCE said the committee of enquiry might work too late and moves for peace could no longer wait.

Meanwhile, the group that fled from the town to perch with relations at Akuse, Somanya, Kpong, Tema and Ashaiman are yet to return, as they fear further attack by their opponents.

Hints of the simmering hostilities were dropped at a meeting called by the DCE last Wednesday, at Dodowa, the district capital, which was attended by representatives of the Local Council of Churches, chiefs, assembly members and the two factions in the Asutsuare conflict.

Even though only one person out of the five invited from the Asutsuare-based group remained at the meeting, the chief executive stood his ground and proceeded.

Earlier, Vadis Teye Muno and three members of his Asutsuare group who were at the assembly premises for the meeting left the place without any explanation.

The DCE said from all indications the uneasy calm situation cannot wait for government's committee of enquiry before peace could be arrived at.

He called on the two factions, who are blood related but divided in party politics, to throw their weight behind the reconciliatory move.

Two outstanding events were enough signals that misinformation had led officials to believe that the whole impasse was calculated to divide the people who can trace their lineage to one root.

Members of the group, who fled the town and are now perching with friends at other towns in the district, want law and orderliness to prevail in the area to guarantee their safety return to their various homes.

One of them Nene Ablorh, chief of Asutsuare, whose palace was vandalized during the attack, suggested compensation to all the over 150 victims.

Nene Ablorh appealed to all citizens of Osudoku, including the Deputy Attorney-General, Ms. Gloria Akuffo, to get involved in the reconciliation talk.

Two wolf cries were witnessed recently with one recording fatality when soldiers drawn from the Asutsuare Commando Training Camp, responding to supposed 'dissident' call, were involved in an accident on the Loweni Bridge.

Two soldiers, including the driver, were reported dead, according to information gathered at the meeting.

It would be recalled that around the eve of the last Christmas, a taxi belonging to a teacher was hired to convey rice at the defunct sugar factory.

Upon arrival, the said rice turned out to be scraps obtained from the factory.

This was at about 7.00 pm and as they began to unload the scrap, men emerged from the nearby bush and set the taxi ablaze.

Sensing danger, the driver of the taxi jumped into the canal and because he is a Krobo, it was concluded that he would get drowned because " Krobos cannot swim," as it was put.

A woman nearby reported later that the driver had retorted that he was going to return with a group.

The woman's report was taken to mean that there was going to be a retaliatory attack, hence soldiers had to be called upon to foil it.

The soldiers after staying for three days around Namibia House and seeing no sign of dissidents who were supposed to come through Amedeka on December 25 began to leave.

They had gone a few kilometres' away from town when their vehicle veered off the road and nearly got swallowed by the river.

Two soldiers, including the driver, died, according to information gathered at the meeting..

In the other alarm, the Information Minister, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, had to abandon exercising at a golf pitch to rush to Akuse and Asutsuare only to realise that information of an impending attack was false.

The minister was reported to have sounded a strong warning to the boys at Asutsuare when he met with them.

It will be recalled that supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at Asutsuare were on February 2, last year attacked by their New Patriotic Party (NPP) counterparts.

More than 30 people received injuries, while about 158, including the chief of the town, have since been rendered homeless.

Several promises by government to set up a committee to go into the matter failed.