Kpone Youth In Bloody Clash With Police


A demonstration organised by Concerned Youth of Kpone (CYK), which was aimed at registering their displeasure over indiscriminate sale of land without accountability by the Kpone Traditional Council, turned sour when the protesters clashed with the police who were detailed to protect them.

They (police) were pelted with stones when they prevented the furious youth from attacking authorities of the Kpone Traditional Council (KTC), after they had demolished and set ablaze properties of private developers who were believed to have bought portions of the cemetery and.

Police retaliated with plastic bullets and teargas to disperse the angry youth, some of who were allegedly wielding pieces of stick and machetes. Others were said to be holding lighters and gallons of petrol.

A team of police personnel from the Tema Regional Command and Kpone Police Headquarters later had to call for reinforcement from the Formed Police Unit (FPU) to help bring the situation under control.

Later, a team of rescuers, led by the Commanding Officer of the FPU, Chief Superintend Hamza Yakubu, had to break into the building of the KTC to set free the chief fisherman, Nii Tetteh Ashong II and Tetteh Oglie.

Staff and members of the KTC out of fear, quickly withdrew their services and vacated the premises when they heard about the action of the youth.

Wooden structures of private developers set ablaze
The over 1,000 irate youth clad in red and wielding placards, who took to the streets to demonstrate, were restrained from entering the premises of the traditional council by the police.

The demonstrators noted that although numerous companies are located at Kpone, there is high unemployment rate in the area and therefore chanted war songs and hurled curses and insults on their leaders.

About eight of them were rushed to the Kpone Community Clinic for medical attention as a result of the teargas entering their eyes and noses and suffocating them.

Later the situation was brought under control after the reinforcement arrived to help protect properties of the traditional council.

The youth in a petition signed by Samuel Nii Noye Agyeman, Chairman of the CYK, wanted accountability on all monies accrued to it, either being royalties from companies or sale of lands vis-à-vis expenses made by the council.

The Kpone you want the traditional council to convince the numerous companies there to contribute towards the building of a decent senior high school, a community library, standard post office, recreational centre and above all, institute a scholarship scheme for brilliant but needy students, as part of their corporate social responsibilities.

Touching on the Sunon Asogli Power Plant located at Kpone, the youth raised concern about how beneficial the power generation company had been to the area, and demanded a representation on the board of the company.

‘It’s very sad to note that five years down the lane after Sunon Asogli Power Plant started operation, there is no Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the company and the Kpone Traditional Council. The question Concerned Youth of Kpone is asking is, what sort of understanding was reached between the two parties….?’

From Vincent Kubi, Kpone


More General News »


Comments:
This article has 0 comment, leave your comment.