Minority Leader, Alban Bagbin, has called for the immediate removal of the Volta Regional Commander of Police, Deputy Commissioner Of Police Bernard Guyiri Dery, from the region in order to win the confidence of both factions in the Anlo chieftaincy crisis. "Am saying this in toto," he added.
Bagbin alleges that the Commander had taken sides by his article in the media that exposed him and his interest in the crisis that is looming, adding that it would be prudent that DCOP Dery goes to another region. "He is behaving like a politician," he said.
The Minority Leader said this while contributing to a statement made by the Interior Minister, Kwamena Bartels, on the recent clashes at Anlo in the Volta Region. He also called for the withdrawal of the police personnel on the ground and proposed the assignment of the military since the police had now become a part and parcel of the problem after loosing their colleague.
Briefing Parliament on the security situation, the Interior Minister said the crisis in Anlo was a delicate one and called on the people to put suspicions aside in the interest of the Anlo state.
He reiterated that the issue of who is the rightful heir to the throne should be settled through the Regional and National House of Chiefs or the courts and not on the streets of Anlo or in the media. Kwamena Bartels said government still maintains its stance of non-interference in chieftaincy issues but with its overriding responsibility of ensuring law and order.
According to him, due to the volatile nature of the conflict and the refusal of both factions to appreciate the role of the security agencies, particularly the Police in the maintenance of law and order, the government had taken steps to ensure peace in Anlo.
Some of the steps taken include invoking the authority of the Public Order Act, 1994 (Act 491) by instructing the Traditional Council to halt all further processes leading to the installation of the Awoamefia for the people of Anlo. This was contained in a letter from the Inspector General of Police to the traditional authorities through the Volta Regional Police Command.
The letter was issued at 07:25hrs on November 2, 2007 and was brought to the attention of the traditional authorities by 08:00hrs the same day.
The government also successfully sought and obtained a court order restraining the kingmakers of the Anlo Traditional Area from proceeding with the installation of the new Awoamefia.
By Executive Instrument, the Minister of the Interior on November 2, 2007 imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew, running from 6pm to 6am each day, on Anloga and Keta with a directive to the Police and Military detachment to ensure strict compliance.
Government also beefed up the presence of security on the ground.
He noted that presently, they have about one hundred and sixty-one (161) Police Officers and a detachment of Military Personnel in the Anlo Traditional Area. Also by Executive Instrument, the Minister for the Interior prohibited all persons in the Keta and Anloga areas from carrying arms or ammunition.
A high-powered government delegation jointly led by the Ministers of the Interior, Defence and Justice visited the area, and based on the findings of the delegation, the government decided to maintain the measures already taken and continue to monitor the situation closely.
Mr Bartels told members that security intelligence later indicated that kingmakers of the faction supporting the candidature of Togbui Sri III as substantive Awoamefia, had initiated processes towards his installation as the new Awoamefia during the course of the Cultural Festival celebrations. As such on November 1, 2007, the kingmakers attempted to move this process forward by performing some customary rites at the Yorxoenu Shrine at Anloga, which was opposed by the other faction and which then resulted in the violence.
The Police's intervention to restore law and order was initially fiercely resisted by both parties. However, after re-strategizing, through reinforcements and with the support of a military detachment, the Police were able to restore peace at the shrine and its environs by the evening of the same day. Mr Bartels maintained that there was no injunction restraining the holding of the purported cultural festival or the installation of the Awoamefia but rather an order of substituted service granted by Justice G. K Adzagli of the Ho High Court.
"As far as the police were concerned there was no such order," he stated.
Contributing to the statement, the MP for Anlo, Clement Humado, called for an independent Commission of Enquiry to investigate the issue and look at the way forward. He wondered why in September this year, another faction that went in for an order to go ahead with an installation were refused but shortly afterwards another faction was given the permission to go ahead with a similar ceremony.
