By
Godwill Arthur-Mensah, GNA
Accra, Aug. 22, GNA – Nii Ayitey Okuansuro
I, Chief of Opah, has rejected media report that erroneously described a
30-year old suspect, Bezali Zola, alias Nii Ayitey Anumlie Oyanka, who was
arrested for attempted murder and violent conduct, as chief of Opah.
In a rejoinder issued and signed by Nii
Ayitey Okuansuro I, in Accra on Thursday, and copied to the Ghana News Agency,
stated that the suspect, who was arrested by the Police on August 16, is a
resident of Doodo Obliman, near Opah, who is a leader of land guards in the
area.
It said the Ga West Municipal Police who
arrested Zola and his group of land guards at Doodo Obliman knew very well
that, the suspect was not the revered chief of Opah, as given out by the police
and published in a section of the media.
Speaking in an interview with the GNA at his
palace at Opah on Thursday to throw more light on the incident, Nii Ayitey
Okuansuro I said he was enstooled as chief of Opah in 1982 and out doored on
March 18, 1994.
The Chief said he was approved by the
Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs on July 29, 2016.
Nii Okuansuro, known in private life as
Daniel Allotey Brown, told the GNA that, he is the legitimate chief of Opah and
sub-chief of Asere Divisional Council and member of the Ga Traditional Council.
He retired as an Assistant Director of
Education and a well-known, respected and distinguished personality of the Ga
West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.
Nii Okuansuro refuted police claims that
land litigation at Opah was the source of the violent attack on Nii Laryea
Quartey and Daniel Nii Ayitey Hammond by Zola and his land guards.
He said on that fateful day, he and his
elders went to Ofankor to perform some customary rituals to herald the Homowo
celebrations and it was there that he received a call that Zola and his land
guards had attacked Nii Laryea Quartey, stabbed him with a broken bottle and
held him hostage at the residence of Zola at Doodo Obliman.
Therefore, Daniel Nii Ayitey Hammond, an
elder brother of Quartey, went to the place to plead for his brother’s release,
but was also attacked and shot in the legs by Zola.
An attempt by some residents of Opah to
rescue the two victims was met with sporadic gun fire and so Zola and his land
guards succeeded in dispersing the people.
The Amasaman Police Command was informed
about the disturbances and they came to the rescue the two victims.
Zola was subsequently arrested by the Police
while Quartey and Hammond were rushed to the Amasaman Government Hospital for
treatment.
However, Hammond was later transferred to
Ridge Hospital due to the severity of the injuries he sustained from the gun
shot.
GNA
