Poverty cause of Yam Market clashes - Vanderpuye

Odododiodioo MP Nii Lantey Vanderpuye has attributed Tuesday’s violent clashes between Dagombas and Konkombas at Agbogbloshie, a suburb of Accra, to deprivation among the people involved.

According to him, most of the people who resort to violence in the area feel neglected by the middle class and harbour resentments which they give vent to through clashes.

He has, therefore, asked that the socio-economic problems of the people be addressed in order to effectively deal with the perennial clashes between the two ethnic groups.

Tuesday’s clashes were sparked as a result of the alleged theft of a gadget. The fight led to two deaths and several injuries.

An eyewitness, Kweku Ofori, told ClassFMonline.com that the fight was so bloody that even the police officers who were dispatched to the area had to flee for dear life.

Speaking on the matter in an interview with Chief Jerry Forson, host of Ghana Yensom, on Accra100.5FM on Wednesday, 12 April, Mr Vanderpuye said: “The people living at the area are engaged in menial jobs, mostly involving hard labour. There are some of them who believe that they have been neglected by the ruling class and the middle class in Ghanaian society and so they harbour resentment towards them.”

“For this reason, the slightest provocation leads to something else, and, so, I think we have to look at the socio-economic situation at the place and seek to reduce poverty and the hardships they face.

“Again, politicians from all the political parties who come from the North, where the Dagombas and the Konkombas come from, should come together and go to the area and speak to them and advise them that violence is not the solution to their problems.”