Akwasi Addai Odike
The Ashanti Regional Police Command says it has opened investigation into the attack on the offices of Akwasi Addai Odike, the Founder and Leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP), in the Ashanti Region.
Crime scene officers from the Ashanti Regional Police Command have cordoned off the office.
Additionally, Odike has also been given police protection.
Odike’s office was on Monday ransacked and vandalized by some unknown persons.
Some people have linked the attack to some comments Odike made recently on a radio station, which made him to incur the wrath of chiefs in the region.
Akwasi Addai Odike in a recent interview on Kumasi-based Oyerepa FM criticised chiefs within the Asante Kingdom for failing to help end illegal mining activities in the region.
He was also accused of threatening to incite the youth to rise against the chiefs if they fail to play their roles in curbing the illegal mining menace.
His comments were, however, described as distasteful and disrespectful by members of the Kumasi Traditional Council.
Explaining his side of the issue, Addai Odike said “The genesis of the whole issue started on 17th August. I was invited to a panel discussion on Oyerepa FM and TV and the topic was galamsey menace and its devastating effect on society. When it got to my turn, I pointed accusing fingers at our chiefs that they have been reluctant to help us fight galamsey. I went further to say that, I suspect that they were behind galamsey and that’s why we are unable to fight the menace.”
“This message didn’t go down well with our chiefs. They organised themselves in the palace and slaughtered a sheep to banish me from the palace. As if that was not enough, they reported me to the police. I went there to write my version of the whole thing. Then they told my chief to banish me from my hometown and freeze my assets there. So this morning [after the ransacking of my office] I went back to the police station to report it.”
By Vincent Kubi