A renewed chieftaincy dispute that rocked Awoduah, a mining town near Tarkwa in the Wassa West district of the Western Region, has led to the injury of six people with one Isaac Awusi said to be in a critical condition at the Tarkwa government hospital after factions in the dispute had attacked them.
Twelve police personnel who were dispatched to the town by the Tarkwa divisional command of the police to ensure law and order in the town were also not left out. They were attacked by the rampaging youth in the town with stones and other implements till they ran to seek refuge at the palace of the run-away chief, Nana Kobina Angu.
Chronicle learnt that though the 12 police personnel were heavily armed, they would have still been lynched had re-enforcement not arrived from Sekondi on time to rescue their colleagues who were apparently afraid of opening fire that might have resulted in casualties.
Also 30 people believed to be supporters of Nana Kobina Angu II, the chief of Awoduah, are also reported to have fled the town for fear of being killed by the supporters of other factions in the long-standing dispute. They are now seeking refuge at Tarkwa.
Just as this report was about to be filed (Saturday evening), reports filtering in indicated that eight kiosks belonging to some of the people in the dispute had been burnt down by their opponents in the previous night after taking the advantage of the police absence.
One Mr. Ocansey, who is manning the local clinic in the town, and Mr. Okyere said to be the headmaster of the local Methodist JSS, have also been forced to leave the town by the factions in the dispute in the night after they had finished burning the kiosk.
A local businesswoman, one Madam Sikayena, has also had her room and the entire house destroyed in addition to her ?3.5 million she claimed to have been stolen. All the aforementioned people are now seeking refuge at Tarkwa after reporting the latest incident to the Tarkwa police who have been overwhelmed by the situation.
An intensive investigation carried by the Chronicle into the long standing dispute revealed that some where last year, some elders at Awoduah led by the Krontihene, Nana Yaw Asante II, filed destoolment charges against Nana Angu at the traditional council. Whilst this case was still pending before the council, Nana Yaw Asante and his elders who filed the writ against their chief reportedly went and slaughtered a sheep to signify the destoolment of their chief.
Nana Kobina Angu who was not satisfied with the decision of his Krontihene and others brought contempt charges against them at a Sekondi High Court presided over by Justice Jones Dotse.
The judge after going through the case found the Krontihene and some of his people guilty of contempt and sentenced them to imprisonment for a day. Justice Dotse also fined each of the respondents ?5million or in default serve a period of five months in hard labour.
Chronicle gathered that Nana Angu after the High Court ruling went and filed a petition at the same traditional council, praying the latter to strike out the destoolment charges that had been brought against him by the Krontihene and his people. His argument was that after the plaintiffs had gone into prison, they can no more hold themselves out as sub-chiefs as clearly stated by the customs and traditions of the Wassa Fiase.
Chronicle further learnt that on the February 4, this year the judicial committee of the Wassa Fiase Traditional council called the case. The Krontihene and other defendants however raised an objection that they had filed an appeal against their conviction by the Sekondi High Court for contempt and that the council should wait for the outcome of the appeal before sitting on the case.
Nana Angu was also said to have raised an objection that since the Court of Appeal did not stay the execution of the ruling given by Justice Dotse, the defendants could not use it as a yardstick to delay the case. The judicial committee however ruled that since the defendants had filed an appeal against their conviction by the High Court, they should wait for the outcome before proceeding with the case.
The trouble then started immediately after the council's ruling. Supporters of a faction in the dispute were said to have made an attempt to lynch Nana Kobina Angu but he managed to escape in his car. The Tarkwa police who got hint of the disturbances quickly went in and succeeded in arresting three people who are now awaiting their prosecution.
When the Tarkwa district commander of police, Chief Supt. W.B.Baiden, was contacted he confirmed the story and said after the arrest of the three people on February 4 he anticipated that there would be trouble at Awoduah so he quickly dispatched 12 of his men who were fully armed to the Awoduah to maintain peace.
He told the Chronicle that around 8p.m the same day he had information that his men had been taken hostage so he quickly sent signal to Sekondi for re-enforcement who also arrived on time. He however said by the time they got to the Awoduah town around 2a.m the rampaging youth who apparently got hint of it had fled the town.
He said they managed to free the 12 policemen from the palace where they had sought refuge and escorted them back to Tarkwa.The police capo further told this reporter that as at now there is no police presence at Awoduah because he needs about 40 strong men on the ground if they are to effectively police the town and avoid attack on his men. Incidentally, it was the night of the same day that Chief Supt. Baiden spoke to the Chronicle that the latest violence erupted where kiosks were destroyed and people forced to leave the town.
The Police Commander could however not be contacted for comment on the latest incident. He nonetheless told the Chronicle when he was contacted at the first time that the district security council was meeting to devise a strategy to contain the dispute.
