Riot Police In Anloga

Special riot units have been deployed today in Anloga, VR, in order to support on 21 Feb., the illegal installation of Patrick Agboba as the Awoamefia of Anlo in spite of a valid injunction against such an action and the case still pending at the moribund VR House of Chiefs.

The programme involved even Togbe Afede, Gbogbomefiaga of Ho-Asogli area who is the President of the VR House of Chiefs, who should have known better not to allow his name to be used in such an illegal venture. Latest reports have it that he has chicken out and won’t appear in Anloga, as he’d face contempt charges too. Even the Awadada of Anlo, who proclaimed at the meeting of the 3 lineages before him last Thursday 17 Feb, not to be aware of any such plan is listed on the programme, a plan everyone knows of. Jingles for the illegal function is in his name as the chief patron. Meanwhile, the same Awadada had gone on Jubilee Radio proclaiming that he had taken over the case and set up a committee which would meet on Wed. 23rd to determine the eligibility of Agboba. Some of us never trusted such a process led by him and advised alternative actions to stop this illegal action but were not heeded. It is now clear we are right, and the so-called mediation was just a time buying ruse to indulge in this illegal action. So, will the Awadada turn out to perform any roles, if indeed he is not a party to this criminal action?

Contempt of court action awaits anyone who participates, even though they had managed to dodge the additional injunction yesterday. The plaintiffs are aware of all the shenanigans. Despite the pleadings already coming in, they intend to name names, including those who made the phone calls to the bailiff if this illegal madness is allowed to go on tomorrow! A lot of time has been spent restraining the youth and the town people of Anloga opposed to the illegal action, as no one wants deaths again, but anything can happen on the day or after.

A big, fat lie has been told to National Security and the Government by the lawless Anlo individuals behind this action that all the 3 lineages had agreed to install Agboba but only hooligans supporting the impostor Nyonyo were planning to disrupt the proceedings, hence the need to send riot control forces to Anloga, with remote controlled tanks mounted with guns, But the real intention is to intimidate the people and the two lineages opposed to the installation.

A friend used to remind me that we are a backyard, or charitably put, developing people, and so our actions cannot be expected to be like that of developed people of the West and Asia. But at times, I sincerely feel some idiots among us are taking positions of leadership, from the family/local to national level and misruling us. A lot of letters had been written to the authorities by the parties opposed to this illegal action. Nyonyo had publicly said MANY TIMES he was no longer interested in the Awoamezi and, in fact, The Herald carried a news item on him on 19th Feb, just yesterday, which gave the impresion that he was also supporting this illegal action. So how on earth can Nyonyo's gang, who had been chased out of town a long time ago, be able to forment trouble in Anloga? It is all a lie to cover up an illegal support for an illegal action by forces in the NDC. Yes, some of his gang members had begged to be accepted back to town and, have resumed their earlier opposition to Agboba's own attempt to usurp. Nyonyo himself had begged and called meetings with the 3 lineages to make his intentions clear that he was no longer going to cause trouble. Some of us were opposed to hobnobbing with him until he was appropriately fined and apologised to the whole Anlo state but his money seems to have a lot of influence over some people. But Nyonyo ABSOLUTELY IS NOT BEHIND this opposition to Agboba. It'd be a BIG insult to the two houses, in fact, all the 3 lineages of the Royal Adzorvia Family to say that Nyonyo is controlling us to foment trouble. He is not a part of this opposition. The opportunist that he is, he is waiting to see which side wins by hook or crook and go to pay homage!

Can the Police and the National Security not carry out their own investigations? What about all the information sent to the Castle so far?

Are those greedy Anlo traitors in high places in the NDC, the Kofi Awoonors, Agbodakpis, Chris Ackumeys and the lot of them so powerful that even Mills can sit down and allow this illegal action to take place under his watch? We won't forgive him!

Meanwhile, they have been intimidating people, threatening to even kill them. They are being reminded that, they alone don't have monopoly over guns either in the Army or the Police. Besides, there is proliferation of arms in the W. Africa sub-region. If they touched the hair of any of my relations (they have made a hit-list), they shall be revenged sooner or later! It’d mark the end of the days when people in government can unleash murder and mayhem on innocent citizens and get away with it.

Story by: Andy C. Y. Kwawukume cyandk@ymail.com