GH¢500,000 spent on maintaining peace*In Anlo Traditional Area

Page 3: May 7, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia, Anloga.
THE government has spent more than GH¢500,000 on security operations to maintain the peace in the Anlo Traditional Area since the outbreak of disturbances on November 1, last year.
The Minister of State at the Interior Ministry, Nana Obiri Boahen, who disclosed this yesterday, expressed regret at that situation and said the amount could have been given out as loan to rural folks to establish income-generating ventures.
He was speaking during an interaction with some opinion leaders and assembly members of the Keta Municipal Assembly at the residence of the Keta Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Kofi Ahiabor.
The minister was in the area to interact with security personnel stationed there to maintain law and order following sporadic shooting in Anloga last Saturday.
Nana Boahen told his audience that instability in any part of the country affected the entire country, as government’s efforts would be directed at maintaining law and order.
He said as this year’s elections drew nearer, it was important that all Ghanaians, irrespective of their political persuasions, contributed to maintaining peace and order.
He said the government was not interested in the selection, nomination, installation or destoolment of any chief or individual, since that was the preserve of the king makers in the various traditional areas.
Nana Boahen said government’s responsibility was to ensure peace and order to foster development and warned those who were using their parochial interest to foment trouble that they would be dealt with if caught.
He commended the security personnel for their professionalism and urged them to continue with the good work, saying that the government appreciated the work they were doing in the area to bring about peace.
The MCE, Mr Ahiabor, said the conflict was draining the resources of the assembly and urged the government to intervene to resolve it.
He said until the arrival of the current Divisional Police Commander, Chief Supt Edward Johnson Akrofi-Oyirifi, the people of Anlo had lost confidence in the police in the area.
He said the police in the town had become so partisan that it took a personal call to the Divisional Commander of Police in the area to intervene in last Saturday’s disturbances.
The Regional Police Commander, DCOP Ben Dery, expressed regret at the attitude of the people, who often reported cases to Accra without the knowledge of the Volta Regional Co-ordinating Council.
He said the people had also made complaints against police officers, resulting in their transfer, hence the non presence of even a single detective in the area.
DCOP Dery said that had also made some police officers decline transfer to the area because they feared that they would suffer the same fate.