NPP members clash with Krobo demonstrators

Some members of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Tuesday clashed with demonstrators in Odumase Krobo who are demanding an apology from Abuakwa South MP Samuel Atta Akyea for saying that a university meant for the Eastern Region should have been located at Akyem rather than the Krobo area.

The clashes were sparked when supporters of the NPP prevented the demonstrators from entering the palace of the Paramount Chief of Manya Krobo, Nene Sackitey, with whom they were meeting over a planned courtesy call by the flag bearer of their party, Nana Akufo-Addo

The demonstrators had also gone to the palace to present a petition to the chief over their grievances.

The police had to intervene to forestall mayhem. The petition of the demonstrators co-signed by Evans Srenyame Tetteh and Ebenezer Kwasi Kpabitey, convener and organiser, respectively read: "Your Highness, you will recall that somewhere in February 2016 this year, the Parliament of Ghana passed the Eastern region University bill into Law. The said bill sited the main campus of the proposed university at Somanya with satellite campuses in other parts of the country. Atta Akyea (MP, Abuakwa South) launched a scathing attack on this noble idea. He went further to state that: ‘Krobos do not deserve a university’.

"This did not go down well with us as a group and to all Krobos in general. We have since called on him and the leadership of NPP to apologise to us but to no avail. As Nana Addo visits Krobo land today, we appeal to your Royal Highness to seek this apology on behalf of Krobo land.

"We want to use the medium to remind Nana Akufo-Addo and his NPP that Krobos are not aliens in Eastern region and will thus not tolerate such irresponsible statements in the future. We are today marching peacefully in protest to Nana and his NPP's irresponsibility but we may react differently if they fail to apologise to all Krobos in general."