Akuapem South DISEC lifts curfew over Adoagyiri

Adoagyiri(E/R), April 06, GNA - Akuapem South District Security Committee(DISEC) has lifted the two weeks dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed on Adoagyiri following clashes between the youths of Adoagyiri and Adoagyiri Zongo over 20,000 cedis during gambling.

Mr Andrews Nyarko-Adu, Akuapem South District Chief Executive, who announced this at a People's Assembly at Nsawam on Wednesday, attributed the measure to prevailing peace within the township.

He commended the Eastern Regional Security Council (REGSEC), chiefs and opinion leaders for restoring peace in the town which witnessed four days of violent clashes during which a policeman and eight other people were seriously injured, stores were vandalized, vehicles and the wares of bakers destroyed.

Mr Nyarko-Adu appealed to the youth to maintain peace and be law abiding to promote development of the area.

Mr Yaw Barimah, Eastern Regional Minister, said 80 people arrested during disturbances had been granted court bail through an intervention by the REGSEC to promote reconciliation and cautioned; that "nobody should take credit for the move but REGSEC to restore peace at Adoagyiri."

He told the people that the Government in its efforts to check corruption, had submitted the Whistle Blower's Bill to Parliament, provided resources to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), Audit Service and the Accountant General's Department to enable them perform their statutory duties.

Mr Barimah said the Police Service had been supplied with 600 vehicles an increase over the 100 the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration inherited to maintain law and order and urged the people to assist the police to rid their communities of criminals. He said good governance and economic policies of the Government had attracted more foreign investors into the country, while the 3.7 billion-dollar re-activation of the Volta Aluminum Company (VALCO) alongside the mining of the Kyebi bauxite deposit would provide employment to over 7,000 people.

During an open forum, Mr Bawa Mensah complained that he together with some people who registered with the Akuapem South District Mutual Health Insurance in November last year, could not find their names in the computer and therefore, denied access to the scheme. Madam Araba Asor, a baker and registered premium holder, complained that when she travelled and fell sick, the management of St Dominic Hospital at Akwatia refused to recognize her insurance card and called for networking of the schemes to make the policy meaningful. Most of the participants appealed to the Government to establish a new agro-processing company or reactivate the Nsawam Cannery to relieve pineapple and citrus farmers, the hardships facing them because some exporters refused to pay for produce purchased from them.