Victims of Atiwa violence cry out

FOUR persons who were injured when the vehicle of Anita De-Souza, National Democratic Congress (NDC) Women’s Organiser, ran into them in the heat of the recent bye-election in the Atiwa constituency have spoken to DAILY GUIDE about their tortuous ordeal.

This was when the paper visited them at the Enyiresi Government Hospital to obtain first-hand information of what they recall about the incident.


The four are 18-year-old Isaac Agyemang Duah, a student of the Koforidua Senior High School, 40-year-old Ebenezer Adomako aka Kwasi Willie, a farmer, 38-year-old George Abu, also a farmer and 20-year-old Seth Ampofo.


They gave their accounts of how the ash-coloured Toyota Prado 4 wheel drive with registration number GE 5440-10 maimed them.


The vehicle, at the time of the incident, was said to be driven by a certain Akwasi Ernest, who is yet to report to the police.


At the time of the visit, some family members and New Patriotic Party (NPP), faithful led by the Eastern Regional Chairman of the NPP, Dr. Samuel Annor, had gone to visit the victims and presented some items to them.


Isaac was at home listening to radio, Oman FM, when he heard that the voter turnout at the Presby Junior High School polling station was very low.

He therefore informed the NPP treasurer in Abomosu, one Mr. Oboubi about what he had heard and told him he knew some old women including his grandmother in the area who might not be able to walk to the polling station so they could organize a car to convey them to the polling station, which he agreed to do.


On their way back from seeing the old women, Isaac narrated that Obuobi had a call from his son, one Agyepong that some NDC members (Azorka Boys) had come to steal ballot boxes at the polling center.


At this point, he said they parted ways since Mr. Obuobi told him he was going to make arrangements for a vehicle to go and pick up the old women to enable them to vote.


Isaac said he proceeded to the area where the supposed Azorka Boys were reported to be causing mayhem.


In the heat of events, he said one Kofi Akuoko and several other people were butchered with machetes and clubs, with blood oozing all over their bodies.


Just as he and some of the bystanders were about to flee from the wrath of the thugs, Isaac said the only thing he could recall was a vehicle running over them.

Isaac said the next thing he realized when he opened his eyes was that he was on a hospital bed at the emergency ward.


Since the incident happened within seconds, Isaac said he could not see the vehicle and that even if he did, the excruciating pain he was going through was enough to make him forget how it looked like.


He admitted there was a roadblock in the middle of the road in front of Mona Palace where the incident occurred but could not tell whether it was mounted by the townsfolk or the police since there were policemen also there.


On his part, Ebenezer Adomako aka Kwasi Willie, said he and some other friends were there when some NDC thugs attempted to steal the ballot box.


According to him, a heated exchange ensued between them and the thugs and in the process, the thugs slashed a certain young man’s head.


This angered the townsfolk since they could not comprehend the action of the thugs.

In the heat of the argument, he said, a vehicle which he later got to know was owned by the National Women’s Organizer of the NDC ran into them, with his right thumb virtually splitting apart whilst the vehicle ran over some of the boys.


George Abu claimed that he was on his way home after going to cast his vote when he heard a friend shout out his name.


As he turned around, he was hit by the vehicle and fell unconscious before he was taken to the hospital.


According to him, he was surprised and angry at the spin being put on the entire story since some individuals had come to interview him and his other colleagues and were asking them to lie that they were knocked down by an articulated truck.


Seth Ampofo could not tell his story since the pain he was going through did not allow him to speak.


When this paper visited the hospital, Ampofo’s wounds were being dressed.

The anguish, wailings and screams of the patient sent chills through the ward, and the DAILY GUIDE team, unable to stand the pain, packed their tape recorders, cameras and notebooks and slipped out of the ward.


Not even the consolation of his attendant nurses could stop the wailing and pain that he felt.


He cried like a baby while invoking curses on whoever might have caused him this predicament.


Meanwhile, some residents of the area have corroborated the stories of the victims and have confirmed the colour and number of the vehicle which ran through them, which is no different from what has already been put out as an ash Toyota Prado with registration number GE 5440-10.