Residents of Kenyasi in the Ashanti Region have vowed to push for improved roads in the area despite yesterday’s bloody clashes with the police during a protest over bad roads in the community.
The decision was from a crucial meeting held on Tuesday by Assembly Members in the community over the unfortunate situation.
The injury toll of the clash resulting from a crack down on demonstrators in the early hours of yesterday by a team of police officers hit twenty-five, Luv FM’s Prince Appiah, who has been following the developments in the area has reported.
The Assembly members in the area also called for effective cooperation with the police to avert clashes in future as activities in the community have returned to normalcy.
The policemen deployed to the area to keep peace, have been withdrawn as members of the community are going about their normal duties.
The residents of Kenyasi staged the protests Monday, February 3, against deteriorating road conditions in their community but what started as a peaceful demonstration later turned violent, when a team of police officers deployed to the area started firing warning shots.
The police are said to have also fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, who returned fire with stones and other objects.
Superintendent Chris Klomagah, who is in charge of rapid deployment for the police in Ashanti said the police had notification from residents in the community to embark on a peaceful demonstration against the poor nature of their roads.
Arrangements were made with adequate security provided but in the process of the demonstration, the police realized the situation was getting out of hand as the police had information from other residents that lorry tyres were being burnt near filling stations and roads have been blocked as a result of which re-enforcement was sent there to bring the situation under control.
The police said a call on the demonstrators to stop their actions was not heeded as they met the ensuing development with brute-force, resulting in fatalities.
Meanwhile, the Ashanti Regional Minister says the deplorable road networks in the community are receiving serious attention from the Department of Feeder Roads as measures are put in place to get the roads fixed.
He has therefore called on residents to exercise renstraints as the appropriate authorities work on the issue.
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