Four Dead In Kintampo

FOUR persons have been shot dead at Portoo in the Kintampo North District, following a chieftaincy fracas.

A contingent of the military and police, led by the Brong Ahafo Deputy Regional Minister, Mr. Kwadwo Kwakye, is in the town as at the time of filing this report to cool down tensions.

The trouble started when one Anifa, a gong-gong beater started making the announcement that from the 12 of October 2006, no one should pay any tax to the representative of the Nkoranzahene, Nana Okatakyie Agyemang Kodom VI, but rather, all taxes should be paid to one Nana Bawa, who has been installed as the new chief of Portoo by the king of Gonja.

The gong-gong beater took his message to the Nkoranza quarters of the town where a youngman seized the gong-gong and slapped him in the face.

When Anifa went back to report the incident to Nana Bawa, the supporters of the chief became peeved and came out firing shots indiscriminately.

The supporters of Nkoranzahene’s representative also went for their guns, resulting in the clash that left four persons dead.

When Daily Guide visited the town, women and children had run to hide in the bush, while the police and military were patrolling the streets.

It would be recalled that the Nkoranzahene had complained on several occasions that the King of Gonja was seizing his land and that if something was not done about it, the situation could lead to bloodshed.

According to the Nkoranzamanhene, his land stretched to Guipe where he shared boarders with the king of Gonjaland, but the latter had crossed the Volta River to install chiefs who dwelt on Nkoranzahene’s land.

This matter had dragged on for more than ten years now. But for the presence of the military and police in Portoo, more lives would have been lost.