Tragedy Hits Asankragwa NPP

The burnt Kia truck ASANKRAGWA, A FARMING community in the Wassa Amenfi West district of the Western region was thrown into a state of shock last Monday when one Kojo Antwi, the driver of a Kia truck with registration number GR 390 W, allegedly rammed into some supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the area, injuring four of them.  

The four, Yaw Asante, a mason; Mary Egyir, farmer; Paul Kobina Owusu and Yaa Akyaa, both traders, who sustained severe injuries, were taken to the Asankragwa Catholic Hospital for treatment.  

When DAILY GUIDE visited the hospital on Tuesday two of the victims, Paul Kobina Owusu and Yaa Akyaa had been discharged while the other two, Mary Egyir and Yaw Asante were still on admission.   Narrating how the incident occurred in an interview with DAILY GUIDE, Yaw Asante, 50, said on Monday December 15, at about 5.30pm, supporters of the ruling NPP in the area held a meeting with the constituency executives of the party at the Asankragwa Catholic Junior High School.  

According to Asante, the meeting, among other things, was to discuss the performance of the NPP in the December 7 general elections in the constituency and to re-strategise towards a resounding victory for the party's flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in the presidential run-off on December 28. 

He said after the meeting the NPP supporters, numbering about 500, decided to dance to some brass band music in front of the school.  

He intimated that in the midst of the excitement, the Kia truck, from nowhere, ran into the crowd injuring four of them.  

The driver of the vehicle, Kojo Antwi, according to the victim, did not stop but drove into a nearby bush where he left the vehicle and bolted.  

This angered some residents of the area who allegedly set the Kia truck ablaze.  

A senior nurse at the hospital, Mr. Anthony Crentsil told DAILY GUIDE that the four were admitted at the facility with wounds and lacerations on their foreheads, bleeding profusely, so their wounds were sutured and were currently responding to treatment.   The defeated NPP parliamentary candidate for the Amenfi West constituency, Madam Agnes Sonful told DAILY GUIDE that the case had been reported to the Asankragwa police.  

She alleged that after the December 7 elections which the NPP lost in the constituency, supporters of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) had been terrorising supporters of the NPP in the area.  

“Now my life and that of NPP supporters in this area are in danger as NDC supporters in the constituency keep on threatening our lives daily with guns and knives,” she lamented.  

When contacted, the Asankragwa district police commander, ASP Albert Adiita confirmed the incident had been reported to them but said no arrest had been made and that investigations were ongoing.  

He however indicated that the driver of the Kia truck which was involved in the accident reported himself to the police at Samreboi, a few kilometers from Asankragwa, and was in police custody.  

ASP Adiita gave the assurance that the Police in Asankragwa would soon take custody of the driver for further investigations. From Emmanuel Opoku, Asankragwa