Chief Imam exposes gov't as families of ‘Zongo 7’ cry of abandonement

Families of seven (7) people gunned down by the Police in Ashanti Region last have complained bitterly about the delay in the payment of compensation promised by the government following the killing of the relatives.

It would be recalled that on July 7, 2018, Police in the Ashanti Region shot and killed seven persons believed to be armed robbers at Manso Nkwanta in the Ashanti Region as reported by MyNewsGh.com

The seven, all residents of Asawase Zongo in Kumasi, were said to have exchanged fire with the police patrol team leading to their death but deceased families maintain they were not robbers as claimed by the Ashanti Regional Police Command.

The killings sparked outrage in Zongo communities in Kumasi with residents insisting on the innocence of the seven and demanded justice for their murder as well as compensation to the bereaved family.

A seven-member committee which was set up to investigate the shootings concluded that there was no evidence to suggest that the seven persons killed in the shootout were armed robbers.

On Tuesday, 8 January 2019 President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo -Addo announced a GH¢1, 750,000 compensation package to the families of the seven people shot by police in Asawase in the Ashanti Region.

Each family was to receive a package of GH¢250, 000.

President Akufo-Addo announced at the Zongo for Peace and Development Conference in Kumasi at the time.

The families speaking exclusively to MyNewsGh.com said government has failed its promises to them saying they are yet to receive a dime of the promised compensation from government.

According to Chief Imam of Asawase and the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the seven-member committee Shiek Yussif Alhassan, they had a meeting with government and were promised the compensation would be paid within two weeks after President Akufo- Addo announced the amount in Kumasi.

“We have not received even pesewa from the GH¢ 1,750,000 promised by government. After the announcement by President Akuf-Addo, government told us to open individual bank accounts so the compensation can be paid into them. We have gone through all the processes but the government has not paid the money. The government gave us two weeks to pay the compensation but it is almost two months after the announcement”, he lamented.

According to him, he is inundated with calls from family members who keep asking when the money will be paid by virtue of the fact that some of the deceased persons left behind children who need to be taken care of.

They added, though the money cannot bring back their relatives, it behooves on the government to fulfill its promise.