Awudua (W/R), March 17, GNA - The Western Regional Security Council (REGSEC) on Saturday brokered a peace deal between supporters of Nana Kobina Angu II, Chief of Awudua and Nana Afua Yaa Adwo, Queen Mother, who were locked in a chieftaincy dispute.
Under the deal, about 140 citizens of the town who were forced to leave the town at the peak of the dispute in August last year, would be allowed to return and live there without any harassment from supporters of Nana Adwo.
The faction supporting Nana Adwo demanded that all cases on the dispute at the courts be withdrawn and settled by the Wassa Fiase Traditional Council.
Speaking at a meeting between REGSEC and inhabitants at Awudua where the deal brokered, Mr Joseph Boahen Aidoo, Regional Minister, who is the chairman of REGSEC, said the latest intervention of the Council was the result of a petition the displaced persons sent to the President to assist them to return to Awudua.
He said this was to enable the displaced persons who were supporters of Nana Angu at Tarkwa and its surrounding communities to register as voters and resume their farming activities.
Mr Aidoo reminded them that the constitution, which was the supreme law of the land, entitles people to live anywhere of their choice and in view of this, preventing the displaced people from living in the community was against their fundamental human rights.
Mr Aidoo said it was only the courts that could bar people from living in certain areas and therefore, appealed to the inhabitants to bury their differences and live together as brothers and sisters. He appealed to the people not to allow their political and ideological differences disunite the country.
Mr Aidoo has also met with the displaced people, REGSEC and Wassa West District Security Committee and expressed concern that some inhabitants of Awudua had taken over the homes and farms of the displaced persons.
He was not happy that displaced children had not been in school since the incident last year.
Mr Aidoo said the displaced persons had been able to visit Awudua for funeral but were asked by the inhabitants to leave after the function.
The inhabitants were happy that the dispute had been laid to rest and pledged to live harmony to develop the area and accused the Chief Nana Angu of not putting stool revenue to good use and called for his destoolment.
