Minister cautions Zongo leaders not to condone crime

Agona Swedru, Jan 10, GNA - Mrs Ama Benyiwa Doe, the Central Regional, has appealed to Zongo community leaders to desist from supporting their youth who commit crime. She said the time had come for the leaders to expose such youth who would misconduct themselves so that the laws of the land could deal with them to serve as deterrent to others.

Mrs Doe said this when she led the Swedru Zongo community chiefs and their followers to apologize to the Swedruman Council of Chiefs in connection with the December 2009 Communal clash between the Zongo Communit= y and indigenes of Agona. The apology followed recommendation made by a nine-member committee chaired by the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, the Rev Prof Addo Obeng, set up by the Regional Minister to investigate the clash. Two people died in the clash and properties were destroyed. The Regional Minister called for cooperation and unity between the two groups to ensure peace and development in the Agona West Municipality. Mrs Doe said the country could not afford to spend its resources on conflicts, wars and others instead of using them on infrastructure and the development of the human resource base of the country.

The Sarikyi of Swedru Old Zongo, Alhaji Salifu Daafi, described violenc= e that erupted at Agona Swedru in 2009 as unfortunate and gave the assurance that it would never occur again. Nana Kobina Botwe, the Swedruhene, said the chiefs and the people of Agona Swedru would never like to experience any clash in the Municipality. He called on the Regional Minister to impress upon the Zongo communitie= s in the Agona West and Agona East districts to respect the rules and regulations of traditional areas to promote peace, unity and stability. Nana Kobina Botwe expressed regret that another violence nearly erupted again in December last year when a Zongo youth, suspected to be insane, went to the house of one Mr Cadman Sackey with a cutlass and threatened to kill anybody who would attempt to stop or overpower him.