THE Administrative Manager of Oti Yeboah Complex Limited, a Sunyani-based timber firm, Mr Kwadwo Yeboah-Asuama has urged the government to allow timber firms to initially harvest trees on mining concessions before mining operations take place.
According to him, that would enable the nation to reap the maximum benefits from those concessions instead of allowing the mining companies to destroy the trees found on the lands without harvesting them.
Mr Yeboah-Asuama made the appeal when regional ministers attending the just ended second Regional Ministers’ Conference in Sunyani went on a familiarisation tour of the premises of the sawmill at Abesim to acquaint themselves with its operations.
He also bemoaned the situation where the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources allocated concessions to private individuals who did not have the technical know-how and capacities to extract trees from the concessions and replant them.
Mr Yeboah-Asuama said for lack of equipment to harvest the trees, those individuals later sold the concessions to some timber firms at exorbitant prices.
He, therefore, called on the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to carry out due diligence before awarding those concessions on contract.
The administrative manager said the company had more than 1,500 workers with one-third of them being women as the company was gender sensitive.
He said the company exported most of its products, such as plywood to the neighbouring countries, adding that the company was now engaged in veneer and plywood production.
Mr Yeboah-Asuama stated that the company had established an afforestation of 80 hectares planted with various tree species to produce the needed basic raw material to feed the company.
He said the company was set up by Mr Maxwell Oti Yeboah, who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in 1992 as an indigenous timber firm and has provided employment opportunities for indigenes of the Sunyani Municipality and its environs.
According to him, since its establishment, the company had lived up to its corporate social responsibility in its catchment areas.
The outgoing Chairman of the Regional Ministers Conference and Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, said the visit was to encourage sole owned indigenous companies in the country to maximise their output.
He urged workers of the timber firm to continue to work harder and be dedicated to ensure the growth of the company.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
UNITED NKRUMAHIST FRONT URGES CPP, PNC TO UNITE (PAGE 17, MARCH 16, 2010)
THE United Nkrumahist Front which seeks to promote unity, between the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and People’s National Convention (PNC) has called on all Nkrumahists at the polling station, constituency and regional levels to come together and constitute themselves into a strong Nkrumahist force.
They said once that was done without any preconditions, the united Nkrumahists could hold a congress to discuss and vote on the issues pertaining to the choice of a name and symbol to win any elections.
A statement issued to the press in Sunyani and signed by Messrs B.K. Ameyaw and Nana K. Kyeremeh, Brong Ahafo Regional Chairmen of the CPP and PNC respectively expressed concern about the attempts by the two main Nkrumahist parties, the CPP and PNC to go to congress separately.
According to the statement, the above had been an annual ritual since 1992 and as expected, each party at the congress would mandate its leadership to enter into unity talks with the other party.
“No matter how plausible the above might be, it has never worked and will not work. Its outcome, like most rituals, can easily be predicted. Personal egos will definitely be inflated; there will be disagreement over names and symbols, not forgetting whether a press ought to have been held or not”, it said.
The statement added that what all Nkrumahists ought to remember was that the founder formed a mass and not an elite party and, therefore, matters affecting the party must be discussed by all and not a few.
“To us, it is about history repeating itself. The question is do we achieve unity now or within the shortest possible time? Let those Nkrumahists who believe in unity now unite as Nkrumah and Egala did and the rest will surely join us”, the statement stressed.
“Those of us in the Brong Ahafo Region have shown the way and there will be no turning back”, it indicated.
They said once that was done without any preconditions, the united Nkrumahists could hold a congress to discuss and vote on the issues pertaining to the choice of a name and symbol to win any elections.
A statement issued to the press in Sunyani and signed by Messrs B.K. Ameyaw and Nana K. Kyeremeh, Brong Ahafo Regional Chairmen of the CPP and PNC respectively expressed concern about the attempts by the two main Nkrumahist parties, the CPP and PNC to go to congress separately.
According to the statement, the above had been an annual ritual since 1992 and as expected, each party at the congress would mandate its leadership to enter into unity talks with the other party.
“No matter how plausible the above might be, it has never worked and will not work. Its outcome, like most rituals, can easily be predicted. Personal egos will definitely be inflated; there will be disagreement over names and symbols, not forgetting whether a press ought to have been held or not”, it said.
The statement added that what all Nkrumahists ought to remember was that the founder formed a mass and not an elite party and, therefore, matters affecting the party must be discussed by all and not a few.
“To us, it is about history repeating itself. The question is do we achieve unity now or within the shortest possible time? Let those Nkrumahists who believe in unity now unite as Nkrumah and Egala did and the rest will surely join us”, the statement stressed.
“Those of us in the Brong Ahafo Region have shown the way and there will be no turning back”, it indicated.
Friday, March 12, 2010
GERMAN AMBASSADOR INAUGURATES HOSPITAL (PAGE 20, MARCH 12, 2010)
THE German Ambassador to Ghana, Dr Marius Haas, and the Berekum Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Lord Stephen Oppong, have jointly inaugurated a hospital at Jinijini in the Berekum municipality of the Brong Ahafo Region.
The hospital, which was initially a rural clinic, now has male, female and maternity wards, a child welfare clinic, a pharmacy and offices for paramedics.
Apart from the people of Jinijini, the hospital will also serve communities such as Fetentaa, Ayimon, Abi, Domfete and Nsapor.
The facility is among a number of projects financed by the German government in the Berekum municipality at a cost of GH¢547,046.24.
The other projects are a market shed and a warehouse at the Berekum Thursday Market and a kindergarten block for the Senase Methodist Primary School.
Speaking at the inauguration of the clinic, Mr Oppong appealed to the German government to assist the assembly to put up a community health nurses training school in the municipality to help train community health assistants to serve in the area.
According to him, the Nursing and Midwifery Training College in the municipality seldom admitted natives of the municipality due to the competitive nature of admission procedures.
He said the effect was that almost all the graduates of the school left the municipality, leaving the clinics without nurses.
Mr Oppong further appealed to the Ministry of Health to post a doctor and other paramedics to the clinic.
The Member of Parliament for Berekum, Mr Kwaku Agyenim Boateng, and the former MCE, Mr Kwabena Kyere Yeboah, also thanked the German government for the gesture.
They called for teamwork, since development could not take place if there was no co-operation from stakeholders.
At the ceremony, the Chief of Jinijini, Nana Baffour Tutu Asare II, enstooled Dr Haas as the development chief of the town and he was subsequently presented with a stool, Kente cloth and a pair of native sandals.
Dr Haas expressed the hope that the facility would go a long way to enhance health delivery in the area and thanked the chiefs and people of Jinijini for the honour done him.
He later presented a first aid box to the Jinijini Hospital.
Nana Tutu Asare, who is also the Akyempimhene of the Berekum Traditional Area and chairman for the function, expressed his appreciation to the government and the people of Germany for the facility and appealed to the German Ambassador to help construct a doctors’ bungalow to facilitate the posting of a doctor to the area.
Earlier, Dr Haas, accompanied by his wife, had visited the Berekum Light Industrial Area where he interacted with members of the garages association who had also benefited from GTZ training to build their capacities.
The Chairman of the Berekum Garages Association, Mr Ali Mohammed, expressed gratitude to the GTZ for the support which had transformed the area into an attractive working environment.
The hospital, which was initially a rural clinic, now has male, female and maternity wards, a child welfare clinic, a pharmacy and offices for paramedics.
Apart from the people of Jinijini, the hospital will also serve communities such as Fetentaa, Ayimon, Abi, Domfete and Nsapor.
The facility is among a number of projects financed by the German government in the Berekum municipality at a cost of GH¢547,046.24.
The other projects are a market shed and a warehouse at the Berekum Thursday Market and a kindergarten block for the Senase Methodist Primary School.
Speaking at the inauguration of the clinic, Mr Oppong appealed to the German government to assist the assembly to put up a community health nurses training school in the municipality to help train community health assistants to serve in the area.
According to him, the Nursing and Midwifery Training College in the municipality seldom admitted natives of the municipality due to the competitive nature of admission procedures.
He said the effect was that almost all the graduates of the school left the municipality, leaving the clinics without nurses.
Mr Oppong further appealed to the Ministry of Health to post a doctor and other paramedics to the clinic.
The Member of Parliament for Berekum, Mr Kwaku Agyenim Boateng, and the former MCE, Mr Kwabena Kyere Yeboah, also thanked the German government for the gesture.
They called for teamwork, since development could not take place if there was no co-operation from stakeholders.
At the ceremony, the Chief of Jinijini, Nana Baffour Tutu Asare II, enstooled Dr Haas as the development chief of the town and he was subsequently presented with a stool, Kente cloth and a pair of native sandals.
Dr Haas expressed the hope that the facility would go a long way to enhance health delivery in the area and thanked the chiefs and people of Jinijini for the honour done him.
He later presented a first aid box to the Jinijini Hospital.
Nana Tutu Asare, who is also the Akyempimhene of the Berekum Traditional Area and chairman for the function, expressed his appreciation to the government and the people of Germany for the facility and appealed to the German Ambassador to help construct a doctors’ bungalow to facilitate the posting of a doctor to the area.
Earlier, Dr Haas, accompanied by his wife, had visited the Berekum Light Industrial Area where he interacted with members of the garages association who had also benefited from GTZ training to build their capacities.
The Chairman of the Berekum Garages Association, Mr Ali Mohammed, expressed gratitude to the GTZ for the support which had transformed the area into an attractive working environment.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
PUT IN PLACE EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS (SPREAD, MARCH 11, 2010)
THE Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, has urged regional ministers to put in place early warning systems to help avert conflicts and other disturbances in their respective regions.
Making reference to last Friday’s communal violence at Tuobodom in the Techiman municipality of the Brong Ahafo Region which claimed the lives of three persons and displaced many others, the Vice-President condemned the incident and said it was unnecessary.
He empathised with those who lost their relations during the disturbances in the area.
Performing the opening ceremony of the second review meeting of regional ministers in Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region yesterday, Mr Mahama said the disturbances in Tuobodom could have been averted if there had been an early warning system in place.
The three-day meeting is on the theme, “Consolidating the Better Ghana Agenda: The Role of Regional Ministers”.
The Vice-President said the final report to review the 20 years of the assembly experience, learn lessons and chart the way forward was being completed for further action.
He said plans were also far advanced to review relevant legislation, including the acts relating to local government, the Local Government Service, the District Assemblies Common Fund and others.
Mr Mahama said in order to deepen local level democracy, the government was committed to ensuring that it was truly at the doorstep of the people and it would ensure, among others, that the representatives of the people were visible, as well as audible.
The Vice-President said investigations had revealed that some metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) were doing very well, while others were not performing as expected.
He, therefore, urged the various regional co-ordinating councils (RCCs) to strengthen their co-ordinating and monitoring mechanisms to ensure that MMDAs were able to deliver in line with the government’s policy and priority areas.
Welcoming his colleagues to the meeting, the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, said the theme for the conference was chosen to re-energise and motivate them as the pillars and mobilisers to engage all social and development partners in productive and constructive activities that would address the needs of the people.
In that regard, he said, the ministers would serve as an important link between the central government, as policy formulators, and the decentralised system, as implementers.
Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, for his part, said the ministry had pursued and co-ordinated all the decisions that were taken at the last meeting and expressed the hope that the current meeting would be fruitful and successful.
Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, the Eastern Regional Minister and outgoing Chairman of the conference, for his part, commended President Mills for devoting the 53rd Independence anniversary to schoolchildren and the youth of the country.
Osahene Kwaku Aterkyi, the President of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs and Omanhene of the Kukuom Traditional Area, who chaired the opening ceremony, pledged the support of chiefs to regional ministers to enable them to deliver to the expectation of the people.
Making reference to last Friday’s communal violence at Tuobodom in the Techiman municipality of the Brong Ahafo Region which claimed the lives of three persons and displaced many others, the Vice-President condemned the incident and said it was unnecessary.
He empathised with those who lost their relations during the disturbances in the area.
Performing the opening ceremony of the second review meeting of regional ministers in Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region yesterday, Mr Mahama said the disturbances in Tuobodom could have been averted if there had been an early warning system in place.
The three-day meeting is on the theme, “Consolidating the Better Ghana Agenda: The Role of Regional Ministers”.
The Vice-President said the final report to review the 20 years of the assembly experience, learn lessons and chart the way forward was being completed for further action.
He said plans were also far advanced to review relevant legislation, including the acts relating to local government, the Local Government Service, the District Assemblies Common Fund and others.
Mr Mahama said in order to deepen local level democracy, the government was committed to ensuring that it was truly at the doorstep of the people and it would ensure, among others, that the representatives of the people were visible, as well as audible.
The Vice-President said investigations had revealed that some metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) were doing very well, while others were not performing as expected.
He, therefore, urged the various regional co-ordinating councils (RCCs) to strengthen their co-ordinating and monitoring mechanisms to ensure that MMDAs were able to deliver in line with the government’s policy and priority areas.
Welcoming his colleagues to the meeting, the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, said the theme for the conference was chosen to re-energise and motivate them as the pillars and mobilisers to engage all social and development partners in productive and constructive activities that would address the needs of the people.
In that regard, he said, the ministers would serve as an important link between the central government, as policy formulators, and the decentralised system, as implementers.
Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, for his part, said the ministry had pursued and co-ordinated all the decisions that were taken at the last meeting and expressed the hope that the current meeting would be fruitful and successful.
Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, the Eastern Regional Minister and outgoing Chairman of the conference, for his part, commended President Mills for devoting the 53rd Independence anniversary to schoolchildren and the youth of the country.
Osahene Kwaku Aterkyi, the President of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs and Omanhene of the Kukuom Traditional Area, who chaired the opening ceremony, pledged the support of chiefs to regional ministers to enable them to deliver to the expectation of the people.
Latest from Tuobodom...CHIEF, SECRETARY GRANTED BAIL (PAGE 3, MARCH 11, 2010)
THE Sunyani Magistrate Court yesterday granted bail to the Omanhene of the Tuobodom Traditional Area, Nana Asare Baffour II, and his Secretary, Samuel Adjei, who appeared before it on charges of abetment of crime and attempted murder.
The bail was in the sum of GH¢10,000 and a surety each to be justified.
Nana Baffour, a rival Tuobodomhene who owes allegiance to the Golden Stool, and his secretary are alleged to have masterminded the firing into the Techimanhene’s convoy at the outskirts of Tuobodom, near Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region, on October 8, 2008.
The Techimanhene, Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw IV, was said to be travelling to Tuobodom in connection with the Yam Festival celebrated by Nana Obeng Ameyaw II, the rival Tuobodomhene and Akyempimhene of the Techiman Traditional Area.
The pleas of the two accused persons were not taken in court and they are to reappear before the court, presided over by Mr Joseph Mensah, on March 16, 2010.
The two, at the outskirts of Tuobodom on October 8, 2008, were alleged to have aided and abetted with five persons who have also been remanded in prison custody by the same court and others now at large to commit the crime.
The five others are Kwaku Addae, Appiah Kusi, Kwabena Macus, Seth Boadu and Kwasi Abraham.
The presiding magistrate, after listening to Nana Obiri Boahen, counsel for the accused persons, decided to grant them bail.
The brief facts of the case, as presented in court by Sgt Faustina S. Anaman, were that the complainant and the victims in the case are the chiefs and the errand boys under the command of the Techimanhene.
She said about 1 p.m. on October 8, 2008, the Techimanhene and his convoy were on their way to Tuobodom for the Yam Festival there.
On reaching the outskirts of Tuobodom, near the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) School, there was a road block by a group of young men who had laid ambush and who fired indiscriminately into the convey.
Sgt Anaman said as a result of the sporadic gunshots, two persons who were part of the Techimanhene’s convoy sustained injuries and were rushed to the Techiman Holy Family Hospital where they were treated and discharged.
The prosecutor said the suspects then fled the scene, adding that on February 16, 2010, the five accused persons who had been remanded by the same court were arrested.
Sgt Anaman stated that on March 5, 2010, Nana Baffour and his secretary who were among the suspects were arrested, while those at large were being sought for.
In a related development, the circuit court at Fiapre, near Sunyani, presided over by Mr Justice Benjamin Osei, yesterday remanded the eight persons who were arrested for their alleged involvement in last Friday’s communal violence at Tuobodom that claimed the lives of three people and displaced many residents.
The accused, charged for unlawful possession of ammunition and whose pleas were not taken in court, will reappear before the court on March 19, 2010.
The bail was in the sum of GH¢10,000 and a surety each to be justified.
Nana Baffour, a rival Tuobodomhene who owes allegiance to the Golden Stool, and his secretary are alleged to have masterminded the firing into the Techimanhene’s convoy at the outskirts of Tuobodom, near Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region, on October 8, 2008.
The Techimanhene, Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw IV, was said to be travelling to Tuobodom in connection with the Yam Festival celebrated by Nana Obeng Ameyaw II, the rival Tuobodomhene and Akyempimhene of the Techiman Traditional Area.
The pleas of the two accused persons were not taken in court and they are to reappear before the court, presided over by Mr Joseph Mensah, on March 16, 2010.
The two, at the outskirts of Tuobodom on October 8, 2008, were alleged to have aided and abetted with five persons who have also been remanded in prison custody by the same court and others now at large to commit the crime.
The five others are Kwaku Addae, Appiah Kusi, Kwabena Macus, Seth Boadu and Kwasi Abraham.
The presiding magistrate, after listening to Nana Obiri Boahen, counsel for the accused persons, decided to grant them bail.
The brief facts of the case, as presented in court by Sgt Faustina S. Anaman, were that the complainant and the victims in the case are the chiefs and the errand boys under the command of the Techimanhene.
She said about 1 p.m. on October 8, 2008, the Techimanhene and his convoy were on their way to Tuobodom for the Yam Festival there.
On reaching the outskirts of Tuobodom, near the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) School, there was a road block by a group of young men who had laid ambush and who fired indiscriminately into the convey.
Sgt Anaman said as a result of the sporadic gunshots, two persons who were part of the Techimanhene’s convoy sustained injuries and were rushed to the Techiman Holy Family Hospital where they were treated and discharged.
The prosecutor said the suspects then fled the scene, adding that on February 16, 2010, the five accused persons who had been remanded by the same court were arrested.
Sgt Anaman stated that on March 5, 2010, Nana Baffour and his secretary who were among the suspects were arrested, while those at large were being sought for.
In a related development, the circuit court at Fiapre, near Sunyani, presided over by Mr Justice Benjamin Osei, yesterday remanded the eight persons who were arrested for their alleged involvement in last Friday’s communal violence at Tuobodom that claimed the lives of three people and displaced many residents.
The accused, charged for unlawful possession of ammunition and whose pleas were not taken in court, will reappear before the court on March 19, 2010.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
GH¢3.9M TO REPAIR, BUILD STRUCTURES FOR SCHOOLS...In the Tain District (PAGE 11, MARCH 10, 2010)
THE government, through the Ghana Educatiion Trust Fund (GETFund), has voted GH¢3.9 million for the rehabilation and construction of additional structures for five senior high schools (SHSs) in the Tain District of the Brong Ahafo Region.
The beneficiary schools are the Nsawkaw, Nkoraman, Baduman, Bandaman and Manjie SHSs in the Tain District.
The additional structures include the building of new classroom and dormitory blocks, as well as science and computer laboratories.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, disclosed this at the President’s End-of-Year party for 500 schoolchildren drawn from 10 circuits of the Tain District at Nsawkaw, the district capital.
He appealed to the GETFund to consider drilling bore holes as part of the project to help ease water problems in the beneficiary schools.
According to Mr Nyamekye-Marfo, Tain District was selected for the regional celebration due to the contribution of the district to the democracy of the country, adding that Tain had made the history of Ghana special.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo said the project was also an indication by the President to bring children closer to the leadership of the country, adding that this would go a long way to prepare the children for future leadership positions.
He urged parents to desist from various cultural practices that affect the growth of children, and expressed worry over how children were poorly served with meals, whilst the better part of the meals went to the adults.
This, Mr Nyamekye-Marfo said, did not help in the growth of mental and physical health of children.
In his address, the Tain District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Jones Samuel Tawiah, disclosed that 2,700 dual desks had already been acquired through the Member of Parliament's (MPs) share of the Common Fund and that of the district assembly for distribution to deserving schools in the district.
He urged heads of various schools to apply to the district education directorate for consideration.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the Department of Children, Mr Hammond Oppong Kwarteng, appealed to parents to avoid exposing children to hazardous work that could go a long way to affect their general development.
Fifty plastic chairs and books on the United Nations (UN) Rights of the Child were donated to Dorbor Chips Compound and circuit supervisors in the district for distribution to various schools during the party.
The beneficiary schools are the Nsawkaw, Nkoraman, Baduman, Bandaman and Manjie SHSs in the Tain District.
The additional structures include the building of new classroom and dormitory blocks, as well as science and computer laboratories.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, disclosed this at the President’s End-of-Year party for 500 schoolchildren drawn from 10 circuits of the Tain District at Nsawkaw, the district capital.
He appealed to the GETFund to consider drilling bore holes as part of the project to help ease water problems in the beneficiary schools.
According to Mr Nyamekye-Marfo, Tain District was selected for the regional celebration due to the contribution of the district to the democracy of the country, adding that Tain had made the history of Ghana special.
Mr Nyamekye-Marfo said the project was also an indication by the President to bring children closer to the leadership of the country, adding that this would go a long way to prepare the children for future leadership positions.
He urged parents to desist from various cultural practices that affect the growth of children, and expressed worry over how children were poorly served with meals, whilst the better part of the meals went to the adults.
This, Mr Nyamekye-Marfo said, did not help in the growth of mental and physical health of children.
In his address, the Tain District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Jones Samuel Tawiah, disclosed that 2,700 dual desks had already been acquired through the Member of Parliament's (MPs) share of the Common Fund and that of the district assembly for distribution to deserving schools in the district.
He urged heads of various schools to apply to the district education directorate for consideration.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the Department of Children, Mr Hammond Oppong Kwarteng, appealed to parents to avoid exposing children to hazardous work that could go a long way to affect their general development.
Fifty plastic chairs and books on the United Nations (UN) Rights of the Child were donated to Dorbor Chips Compound and circuit supervisors in the district for distribution to various schools during the party.
TUOBODOM - 8 FOR COURT TODAY (1b, MARCH 10, 2010)
Eight people suspected to be involved in last Friday’s communal violence at Tuobodom, a town in the Techiman municipality of the Brong Ahafo Region, have been arrested.
The eight, who have been charged for unlawful possession of ammunition, will appear before the circuit court at Fiapre, near Sunyani, today, March 10, 2010.
The disturbances followed the arrest of Nana Asare Baffour II, the rival Omanhene of Tuobodom who owes allegiance to the Golden Stool, by some youth of Techiman at the Wenchi Court last Friday and later handed over to the police.
It is alleged that Nana Baffour was one of the people who masterminded the attack on the Techimanhene’s convoy on its way to Tuobodom in October 2008 to take part in the Yam Festival being celebrated by Nana Obeng Ameyaw II, the other rival chief of Tuobodom and Akyempimhene of the Techiman Traditional Area who owes allegiance to the Techimanhene.
The Techimanhene reported the shooting incident on his convoy to the police and further provided a list of those suspected to have shot into the convoy.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Seth Charles Oteng, who confirmed the arrests, said those who fled Tuobodom following the disturbances that claimed three lives were returning to the town.
He added that commercial activities had partially resumed in the town, as some shops had been opened for business, while commercial drivers, especially taxi drivers, who stopped plying the town had also resumed their services.
However, schools in the town are still closed.
DCOP Oteng said the situation now remained calm but the combined police and military team deployed in the town would remain till there was total peace and stability.
In another development, the Brong Ahafo Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has met to review the situation on the ground.
The Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, who is also the Chairman of the REGSEC, reiterated that although the situation was calm, the police and military contingent deployed to maintain law and order would remain in the town till there was total peace and stability.
Meanwhile, in an interview, Mr Samuel Adjei Boahen, the Secretary and Spokesperson to Nana Baffour, said he, in the company of Nana Baffour, had gone to the Wenchi High Court on a different case last Friday.
He said on that day, the court did not sit and while they were there waiting for their lawyer to arrive, some youth accosted them and bundled them into a waiting Ford bus and sent them to the Techimanhene’s Palace in Techiman where they were stripped naked and subjected to severe beatings until they were rescued by the police in Techiman.
Mr Boahen said in the process, their mobile phones and other valuables on them were taken away and they were later sent to the Regional Police Headquarters in Sunyani where their statements were taken and later granted bail.
He added that they were also given police medical forms to attend hospital, which they did.
It would be recalled that the disturbances left in their wake three persons dead, with four others, including a policeman, sustaining gunshot wounds. The injured were treated and discharged at the Techiman Holy Family Hospital, while 500 people were also displaced.
The eight, who have been charged for unlawful possession of ammunition, will appear before the circuit court at Fiapre, near Sunyani, today, March 10, 2010.
The disturbances followed the arrest of Nana Asare Baffour II, the rival Omanhene of Tuobodom who owes allegiance to the Golden Stool, by some youth of Techiman at the Wenchi Court last Friday and later handed over to the police.
It is alleged that Nana Baffour was one of the people who masterminded the attack on the Techimanhene’s convoy on its way to Tuobodom in October 2008 to take part in the Yam Festival being celebrated by Nana Obeng Ameyaw II, the other rival chief of Tuobodom and Akyempimhene of the Techiman Traditional Area who owes allegiance to the Techimanhene.
The Techimanhene reported the shooting incident on his convoy to the police and further provided a list of those suspected to have shot into the convoy.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Seth Charles Oteng, who confirmed the arrests, said those who fled Tuobodom following the disturbances that claimed three lives were returning to the town.
He added that commercial activities had partially resumed in the town, as some shops had been opened for business, while commercial drivers, especially taxi drivers, who stopped plying the town had also resumed their services.
However, schools in the town are still closed.
DCOP Oteng said the situation now remained calm but the combined police and military team deployed in the town would remain till there was total peace and stability.
In another development, the Brong Ahafo Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has met to review the situation on the ground.
The Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, who is also the Chairman of the REGSEC, reiterated that although the situation was calm, the police and military contingent deployed to maintain law and order would remain in the town till there was total peace and stability.
Meanwhile, in an interview, Mr Samuel Adjei Boahen, the Secretary and Spokesperson to Nana Baffour, said he, in the company of Nana Baffour, had gone to the Wenchi High Court on a different case last Friday.
He said on that day, the court did not sit and while they were there waiting for their lawyer to arrive, some youth accosted them and bundled them into a waiting Ford bus and sent them to the Techimanhene’s Palace in Techiman where they were stripped naked and subjected to severe beatings until they were rescued by the police in Techiman.
Mr Boahen said in the process, their mobile phones and other valuables on them were taken away and they were later sent to the Regional Police Headquarters in Sunyani where their statements were taken and later granted bail.
He added that they were also given police medical forms to attend hospital, which they did.
It would be recalled that the disturbances left in their wake three persons dead, with four others, including a policeman, sustaining gunshot wounds. The injured were treated and discharged at the Techiman Holy Family Hospital, while 500 people were also displaced.
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