The youth at Tafo in the Kumasi
metropolis have called on the Asantehene and the Ashanti Regional Security
Council (REGSEC) to, as a matter of urgency, settle the impasse between the
residents and the Zongo community for peace to prevail.
They said the continuous silence of the overlord of the land, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, was becoming a worry to them and emboldening the Zongo youth to visit atrocities on the residents.
According to the youth, information they had picked up indicated that the Zongo youth were bent on avenging the death of Suleman Hamissu, who was shot during the riot in the area early this year, and as such had been harassing the residents in the evening.
They said they were running out of patience and could no more tolerate the maltreatment being meted out to them by the Zongo youth in their own backyard.
“We would not hesitate to defend ourselves when the need arises. Enough is enough and we can’t allow this to continue any longer,” they said.
Demonstration
The youth, who organised a demonstration yesterday and besieged the palace of the Tafohene, Nana Agyen Frimpong II, to demand the outcome of the investigations conducted by the REGSEC and the Kumasi Traditional Council into the issue, accused the chiefs of leaving them to their fate.
Insecurity
The Secretary to the defunct Patriotic Youth of Tafo, Mr Desmond Agyemang Badu, told the Daily Graphic that since the curfew was lifted at Tafo, the Zongo youth had been attacking the indigenes of the town and visiting mayhem on them.
According to him, the issue had become serious in the past two months, with an indigene being allegedly attacked by the Zongo youth every weekend on the average.
He alleged that the Zongo youth claimed the indigenes were responsible for the death of Sumerian Hamissu, who was allegedly shot by the police while trying to enter the Atwima Kwanwoma Rural Bank during the riot.
As a result, he said most indigenes were afraid to go out at night for fear of being attacked by the youth.
Modus Operandi
According to the youth, the Zongo youth had adopted a strategy to identify the indigenes.
They said when they met an individual in the night, “they would address you in Hausa and if you fail to answer, then they would know you are not one of them and there and then, they will beat you up without any provocation”.
They said since the security services and the traditional councils had failed to protect them, they would take their security into their own hands.
Consequently, they said they were also preparing to meet the Zongo youth squarely whenever they attacked any indigene again.
Mr Kofi Karikari, another youth from Tafo who spoke to the Daily Graphic, also accused the Member of Parliament for the area, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei of being indifferent to their plight.
He said since the incident occurred in February this year, nothing had been heard from him and not even a statement on the floor of Parliament.
Background
The Zongo community leaving in Tafo and the traditional authority went on a collision course early February this year following a misunderstanding over the erection of a wall around the Muslim cemetery in the area.
The chief of the area, Nana Agyin Frimpong, prevented the Zongo youth from erecting the wall and led some youth to demolish it.
The action did not go down well with the Zongo community who were alleged to have physically assaulted the chief.
Last February 10, the Zongo youth returned to the site with the aim of continuing with the erection of the wall and were met with resistance from some artisans around the area and the youth from the area.
They said the continuous silence of the overlord of the land, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, was becoming a worry to them and emboldening the Zongo youth to visit atrocities on the residents.
According to the youth, information they had picked up indicated that the Zongo youth were bent on avenging the death of Suleman Hamissu, who was shot during the riot in the area early this year, and as such had been harassing the residents in the evening.
They said they were running out of patience and could no more tolerate the maltreatment being meted out to them by the Zongo youth in their own backyard.
“We would not hesitate to defend ourselves when the need arises. Enough is enough and we can’t allow this to continue any longer,” they said.
Demonstration
The youth, who organised a demonstration yesterday and besieged the palace of the Tafohene, Nana Agyen Frimpong II, to demand the outcome of the investigations conducted by the REGSEC and the Kumasi Traditional Council into the issue, accused the chiefs of leaving them to their fate.
Insecurity
The Secretary to the defunct Patriotic Youth of Tafo, Mr Desmond Agyemang Badu, told the Daily Graphic that since the curfew was lifted at Tafo, the Zongo youth had been attacking the indigenes of the town and visiting mayhem on them.
According to him, the issue had become serious in the past two months, with an indigene being allegedly attacked by the Zongo youth every weekend on the average.
He alleged that the Zongo youth claimed the indigenes were responsible for the death of Sumerian Hamissu, who was allegedly shot by the police while trying to enter the Atwima Kwanwoma Rural Bank during the riot.
As a result, he said most indigenes were afraid to go out at night for fear of being attacked by the youth.
Modus Operandi
According to the youth, the Zongo youth had adopted a strategy to identify the indigenes.
They said when they met an individual in the night, “they would address you in Hausa and if you fail to answer, then they would know you are not one of them and there and then, they will beat you up without any provocation”.
They said since the security services and the traditional councils had failed to protect them, they would take their security into their own hands.
Consequently, they said they were also preparing to meet the Zongo youth squarely whenever they attacked any indigene again.
Mr Kofi Karikari, another youth from Tafo who spoke to the Daily Graphic, also accused the Member of Parliament for the area, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei of being indifferent to their plight.
He said since the incident occurred in February this year, nothing had been heard from him and not even a statement on the floor of Parliament.
Background
The Zongo community leaving in Tafo and the traditional authority went on a collision course early February this year following a misunderstanding over the erection of a wall around the Muslim cemetery in the area.
The chief of the area, Nana Agyin Frimpong, prevented the Zongo youth from erecting the wall and led some youth to demolish it.
The action did not go down well with the Zongo community who were alleged to have physically assaulted the chief.
Last February 10, the Zongo youth returned to the site with the aim of continuing with the erection of the wall and were met with resistance from some artisans around the area and the youth from the area.
-
-
Source: Daily Graphic
Comments