Residents of Manso Nyankomase have petitioned the Amansie South District Chief Executive (DCE) over alleged military brutalities in their quest to resist what they describe as unlawful reclaimation of lands.
The protestors warned of widespread unrest if their concerns are not urgently addressed.
Hundreds of residents participated in a street protest dubbed “Yɛɛgye y’asaase” to wit “We are taking over our lands”, calling on the government to withdraw military personnel from their community to promote peace.
Unit Committee Chairman, Isaac Nsiah, stated that the community is not against land reclamation but called for transparency and broader consultation with community leaders.
“We woke up one day to find a private company reclaiming our land without providing any documentation, but when we questioned their activities, they have brought in the military to guard the site and they are brutalizing our community members every day,” he said.
He said members of the community can no longer bear the military brutalities.
Clad in red, the protesters blocked major roads and marched through the disputed mining site before submitting their petition to the DCE.
Some protestors expressed their frustration to Adom News, warning that if their demands are not met, the situation will worsen.
“We suspect the DCE of being the mastermind behind this military presence; if he refuses to act on our petition to have peace in our community, he will also not have peace,” said a resident.
The deputy district coordinating director for Amansie South, Augustine Sakyi, received the petition on behalf of the DCE.
He assured them of further action.
Source: Joseph Obeng