OPERATIONS OF the Nkwanta Police came to a sudden halt last Saturday May 29, when the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area, Joseph Nyofam Ninkab, in a sheer display of power, forcibly snatched the keys to the police office from the officer in charge, Chief Inspector John Antwi, and prevented the police from working for over two hours.
DAILY GUIDE gathered from a reliable source at the Police Station that the DCE, in a Bruce Lee style, twisted the arm of the station officer like a taekwondo master, resulting in a loud painful scream from the Chief Inspector.
He then took the police office keys away, leaving the officer with no option but to hang outside the locked station for about two hours, nursing the humiliation.
It took the intervention of the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) officers and other concerned citizens of the area to get the DCE to return the keys for the Police to resume operations for the day.
The DCE, who was not satisfied with what he did, further threatened the Chief Inspector, saying that he would make sure the man was transferred.
“You mark it somewhere, I will get you transferred,” the DCE reportedly bragged.
Narrating what actually led to such a show of power by President Mills’ representative, the police source told DAILY GUIDE that a septic tanker had gone to empty liquid waste at the vegetable farm of a certain Asiedu, but on reaching there, met a tough resistance from the owner of the farm.
The driver of the tanker however insisted that he had every authority to dispose off the content of the tank at the farm because he was directed by the DCE to do so. He therefore went ahead to empty it onto the farm.
The farmer then reported the case to the police and the DCE marched to the station in solidarity with the driver.
DAILY GUIDE was told that the crowd that gathered over the issue was so large that the station officer was called to control the tensed situation.
According to the report, there was so much commotion by the people that gathered at the counter; so when the officer shouted for order, the people failed to respond.
Chief Inspector Antwi, our source explained, therefore hit the counter with his fist amidst shouts of “order, order”, to control the noise.
The DCE, who was among the crowd, moved out and furiously shouted on the station officer for banging on the counter to call for order when he (DCE) was present, describing the situation as a sign of disrespect for his office.
The station officer, on noticing the presence of the DCE, apologized, saying he did not know the government official was there; but the apology did not seem to be enough.
He then allegedly told the Police man in the presence of others that since the cop had disrespected him, he would ensure that the man was transferred.
The Chief Inspector, our source noted, moved from the counter and tried to open his office, but the DCE, in a swift taekwondo move, allegedly grabbed the Police officer’s arm and took the keys from him. He then drove away, preventing the Chief Inspector from entering his office.
The Chief Inspector, DAILY GUIDE gathered, is still nursing some pains from the twisting of his arms by the DCE.
When DAILY GUIDE contacted the DCE’s office at Nkwanta on Wednesday June 2, to get his reaction, the paper was told that he had travelled.
He was called on his cell phone the next day but he declined to comment and asked the reporter to come back to Nkwanta so they could talk about the issue.
“You Wise Donkor (referring to this reporter), the way I wanted us to be treating each other like Voltarians, before,… eh!” he said.
When the paper insisted on taking his comments, he advised that DAILY GUIDE talks to the Regional Minister instead.
All attempts to convince the DCE to react subsequently failed as he left his phone on without talking, even as DAILY GUIDE waited patiently on the phone line.
