EX-PREZ RAWLINGS ACCUSES GOV’T OF COMPLICITY IN ANLO CHIEFTAINCY TROUBLES

Story: Victor Kwawukume, Akatsi

Ex-President Rawlings today accused government of complicity in the attempt to install an illegitimate person as paramount chief of the Anlo Traditional Area saying it was a deliberate attempt by the Kufuor administration to desecrate the sacredness of the Anlo stool.

Mr. Rawlings said that there were no factions in the Anlo chieftaincy problem but that it was the people of Anlo and the government of Ghana that are the only identified factions.

He said that the chieftaincy institution is the embodiment of the souls of the people of Anlo adding that government therefore, cannot use the police and military to illegally install a chief for the people of Anlo or anywhere in the country.

He was addressing a rally at Akatsi to outdoor new membership cards for the Ave-Avenor Constituency of the National Democratic Congress.

Ex-president Rawlings accused President Kufuor of being the brain behind the mayhem at Anloga recently saying it was an illegal act by the Kufuor administration to install someone who was no where near the throne.

He described it as an attempt to “desecrate the spirituality of the throne”.

On the 2008 general elections, he entreated party faithful not to think that there was going to be any free nor fair elections but that it was incumbent on them on them to work hard and ensure vigilance towards the NDC winning the elections.

He charged them to be careful in their choice of candidates to stand on the parliamentary tickets of the party saying they should choose people who are capable of winning the elections distinctly.

Mr. Rawlings warned that because the NPP knew that that they will not win next years elections, they have planned to resort to violence as a means of holding on to power.

He said that in the 2000 elections, the NPP did not have any money but succeeded in winning the elections through lies, deceit and ‘pollution of the people’s mind’.

In 2004, he said, the NPP were aware that the NDC was going to win the elections by 70 per cent and therefore resorted to all fraudulent means to rig the elections.

The only way for the party to be well placed to fight towards returning to power in the 2008 elections, he said, was through proper resourcing of the party and called members to be committed in the payment of their party dues.

He reminded them that the party belongs to them and that they should not allow anyone to take it away from them.`

Earlier, the Volta Regional Chairman of the NDC, Mr. Modestus Ahiable called ob government to heed calls for the setting up of an independent judicial committee to bring out the truth in what occurred at Anloga on Thursday, 1, November, 2007 when youths of Anlo clashed with the Police when attempts were being made to install Mr. Francis Nyonyo Agboada as Awoamefia of the Anlo Traditional Area.

The clashes led to the death of three civilians and a police constable. One other person who was arrested as a suspect later died in police cells.

He said the Anlo Kingdom was indomitable and that no government or person would succeed in subverting it.

Mr. Ahiable assured the teeming supporters who patronised the gathering that God had not forgotten about them and that with hard work and industry, they would take over the reins of power come 2008.

For his part, the Member of Parliament for the Ave-Avenor Constituency, Hon Edward Doe Adjaho reiterated calls by independent bodies for the removal of Mr. Bernard Dery as Police Commander in charge of the Volta Region.

He also made remarks regarding the “hell” they went through in securing police permit to go ahead with the rally because the NPP had also planned a counter rally.

Mr. Adjaho called on members to endeavour to win members of the NPP who had become disillusioned by their party’s policies and programmes into the NDC saying the NDC stands for the truth.

HO DOCTORS FEEL INSECURE….. threaten to seek mass transfer

Story: Victor Kwawukume, Ho

Medical doctors at the Volta Regional Hospital have threatened to seek mass transfer from the region citing insecurity and increased threats to their lives, families and properties.

Their call came in the midst of five burglaries to five medical doctors over a period of one month.

In the face of these situations, they have claimed that they are unable to go about their duties with full concentration and would as an option, seek mass transfer to places in the country where their safety and security would be guaranteed.

In one instance, one of the doctors, Dr, Anthony Ashinyo was called to attend to an emergency at 12 midnight, but while he was responding to duty call and operating on a pregnant woman, another operation was taking place at his home which led to the theft of two laptops that contained crucial medical data and other personal belongings.

In another case, one Dr. Gowu was returning from work when he saw a truck carrying what looked like the belongings of a family who were either moving away or were coming to settle in the area.

Little did he know that the belongings were his and that thieves had broken into his home and virtually ransacked the entire house and gone away with all his properties.

Others also had unpleasant tales to tell about burglaries that had taken place in their homes whilst they were away or sleeping after a hard day’s work.

Police sources confirmed that they had received complaints about the burglaries that took place at the residences of some doctors of the hospital.

However, the straw that broke the camel’s back was an attempt to kidnap a nurse who also works at the Regional Hospital.

Larry Lumor Gota was walking from his house around the Nursing Training College last Sunday, when a vehicle stopped by him and a whiteman together with a woman and a third person alighted and attempted forcing him into the vehicle.

At that instant, two other persons on a motorbike came along and tried assisting the other three to push Larry into the vehicle.

But for the alarm he raised and the alertness of neighbours, Larry would have been kidnapped and taken away for reasons that were still unknown to him.

Luckily, the vehicle registration number and that of the motorbike were taken and the matter was quickly reported to the police.

A police source told the ‘Daily Graphic’ that the whiteman, a Dutch, had told the police that his house had been burgled the previous day and the description that his housemaid gave of the burglar resembled Larry and so he wanted to take him to his house for the housemaid to identify him.

Official police sources have been silent on the issue and would not give details of it to the press and this has also engendered the threat of the doctors to leave the region seeing that the police did not want to protect their interest.

Investigations by the ‘Daily Graphic’ however indicated that the Bureau of National Investigation and the office of the Regional Security Co-ordinator are not taking the issues lightly and are therefore taking steps to investigate the matter and also to forestall any other attack on any doctor.

A source close to the office of the Regional Security apparatus told this reporter that security had been beefed up in the medical village area where most doctors lived and that they had instituted round-the-clock security surveillance and that any consequent attempt by burglars would be effectively dealt with.