'Jaman South MCE Must Step Down'

By Lawrence Markwei

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Jaman South Municipal Assembly, Alhaji Abuu, has been asked to resign his position following his complicity in the shooting incident that led to three deaths in the area two weeks ago.

The Mpausuman Alliance, comprising of indigenes from Mpuasu-Japekrom who made the call at a media briefing in Accra yesterday, said the continuous presence of the MCE as the head of the Municipal Security Council has the potential to impede or undermine the integrity of the ongoing investigations by the security agencies and the provision of justice.

The Mpuasuman Alliance media engagement was in reaction to the shooting of the Youth Chief of Japekrom and two other people, a senior high school student and a one-year-old baby who were all part of a peaceful procession during the celebration of Munufie festival by the people of Mpuasu-Japekrom traditional area.

The group alleged that the MCE withdrawal of the Police protecting the procession to a meeting, five minutes before the occurrence of the shooting incident, put him in an awkward position to defend the withdrawal of security at that critical moment.

Dr. Anthony Arko-Adjei, spokesperson for the group and a senior lecturer at the Geomatic Engineering Department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), said the issue at hand was a criminal matter and should not be clothed and swept away under the guise of non-existent chieftaincy and land litigation as some people want the world to believe.

He pointed out that the people of Mpuasu and Drobo, where the shooting occurred, have different ancestry ties with no traditional links, adding that, when there was land litigation, the two traditional areas trusted the legal system and resorted to the law courts.

"Without any bloodshed, the Supreme Court of Ghana, has since November 19, 2015, settled the land issues. It is, therefore, sad for anyone to create an impression that there is war in the area," he said.

Dr. Arko-Adjei said that video evidence available on media platforms that covered the programme, showed men, women, school children and babies taking part in the procession and questioned people who attributed the barbaric killing with the excuse of self defence, "whether anyone go to war with women and children with bare hands?"

He asked the rationale behind the MCE asking for a meeting with the police at the critical moment and in the middle of the walk, exposing the over 100 unarmed men, women, young and old to the assailants, saying, "Couldn't Hon. Alhaji Abu suspend the so-called meeting for just 20 minutes for the police to escort the pilgrims to their destination?"

Dr. Arko-Adjei asked the police to expedite action on their investigations and bring the murderers to book to calm the nerves of the grieving family members, while calling on Ghanaians to condemn the shameful, barbaric, cruel, inhumane and criminal attack on innocent men, women and children.

The group appealed to the National Peace Council, the Brong-Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, the Ministry of National Security, the Ministry of Interior, the Council of State, and the Office of the President to treat with all seriousness, the deliberate act to murder innocent people and other atrocities to bring justice and peace into the area.

Dr. Arko-Adjei said the group was supportive of Okatakyie Amoa Aturu Nkonkonkyia II, the Omanhene of Mpuasu-Japekrom traditional area for asking the youth to remain calm to allow the security men to conduct their investigation.

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