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Panic Grips Rev. Sisters In Sokode Convent

By GNA
Social News Panic Grips Rev. Sisters In Sokode Convent
APR 11, 2018 LISTEN

Reverend Sisters of Mary Mother of the Church Convent at Sokode in the Ho Municipality are living in fear after hundreds of youngsters, mainly 'warriors' of Sokode-Gbogame attacked the Convent and destroyed property worth thousands of Cedis.

The 'warriors' wielding clubs, cutlasses and other offensive weapons including; locally manufactured guns, last week broke down the fence wall of the Convent, damaged the security post, the main gate of the Nunnery and set fire around the compound.

The attack followed the closure of a 'private' road passing through the Convent to avoid encroachment and protect pupils of Mater Ecclesiae School, which shares the same compound with the Convent, from road crashes.

The timely arrival of the police averted a bloody clash, but police warning shots and intervention resulted in the injury of three people from the community.

Sister Georgina Irene Akoto, Superior General of the Congregation of the Mother of the Church, Ho Diocese, in charge of the Convent, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the sisters were feeling insecured and unprotected after the attack.

She said the destruction of the fence wall had exposed the place for further attacks with alleged threats of assaults from the community people.

'There is only one policeman here and we don't feel safe. The community people come around in red bands threatening to expel us. Last Sunday, some came here and harvested our cassava. We feel so unprotected', Sister Akoto said.

She said the Convent decided to close the road after informing the Ho Municipal Assembly of how unsafe it became with tipper trucks using the road with pupils of Mater Ecclesiae and others using the compound as a place for smoking at night.

'This is a private road. It passes through the middle of our residence. We feel unprotected. We are women. People come here to steal and our pupils too are struggling with tipper trucks to use the road, so we are only fighting for our security,' Sister Akoto stated.

She said though they constructed an alternative route for farmers and community members, the youth attacked them for closing the 'private' road passing through the convent.

Mr Ken Amudzi, Assemblyman for Sokode, said the youth claimed the alternative road was 'slippery' and did not understand why the 'private' road should be closed.

The GNA gathered that the sisters are unable to go about their normal duties for fear of the unknown, whiles a proposed meeting with leaders of the community and the Convent, under the auspices of the Regional Security Council is yet to take place.

GNA
By A.B. Kafui Kanyi, GNA

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