President Akufo-Addo exchanging pleasantries with the chiefs
The chiefs and people in Nkoranza seem to be feeling the effect of the decision of the police administration to withdraw its officers and men from the area.
This became evident last Monday when President of the Regional House of Chiefs, Pimampim Yaw Kabrese V, led chiefs in the region to meet President Akufo-Addo for his intervention in the matter.
This was after the youth in the area vandalised the Nkoranza Police Station and attacked the policemen following the death 27-year-old Albert Donkor.
The young man was shot by the police during a raid in a robbery incident on the Nkoranza-Kintampo road in which he was suspected to have played a part.
He was however alleged to have been pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
But the youth claimed the young man might have seen some policemen involved in the said robbery, for which reason they shot him to prevent him from mentioning names.
This was what provoked them to vandalise the police station and attack the police officers.
At the meeting at the Jubilee House yesterday, the Bono East Regional House of Chiefs however, appealed to the President to impress on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Ghana Police Service to restore police operations in the Nkoranza township, which is also the district capital of the Nkoranza District in the Bono East Region.
Whilst the chief admitted that before the incident which took place four months ago, they had enjoyed improved peace and security in the Bono East Region, he however admitted that “the absence of police services in the municipality have led to increase in criminal activities and have also disrupted economic activities.”
“Traders are afraid to go to Nkoranza to do business, and this is causing huge loses to farmers as their produce are left to rot in their farms. Public servants and the general public live in a state of fear,” he noted with worry.
“We therefore appeal to you to call the police administration to restore police services in the Nkoranza Municipality,” he emphasised.
President Akufo-Addo said his briefing from the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, indicated that the police have not suspended all police operations in Nkoranza, except for charge office services.
“It is not the case that Police Services have been withdrawn completely from Nkoranza. According to the IGP, it is charge office duties in Nkoranza that have been withdrawn; that is, if you have an issue, instead of making a report there, you have to make a report in the adjourning community,” was how he put it.
The President was however quick to add that the chiefs and elders of Nkoranza must do everything possible to address the issue of the youth taking the law into their hands and attacking police facilities and establishments in the Nkoranza Municipality.
“What we want is that as soon as possible, we can have the police begin normal operations in Nkoranza. Attacking the police station does not benefit anybody. Speak to the youth not to take the law into their own hands when tempers rise over issues in the region,” he said.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu