<<Print>>

The community leaders of Old Fadama believe the police service is skirting key issues on the ground by recommending the relocation of residents in the area, following clashes between Konkombas and Dagombas at the Agbogbloshie Yam Market on Tuesday.

At a press conference on Thursday, the Secretary of the Old Fadama Development Association, Fredrick Opoku, said the police should be focusing on addressing the core tensions, which he intimated were deep seated in the Northern Region.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), David Asante Apeatu on Wednesday explained that, relocating residents of Old Fadama will help in the policing of the area and guarantee some stability following the clashes which claimed two lives. The IGP noted that, the unfavourable terrain of Ghana’s biggest slum made policing and intelligence gathering there difficult.

But Mr. Opoku said, “I think the IGP is wrong this time and I think we have to sit and resolve the matter at the core of the issue and I can tell you that relocation is never the issue. If you move Konkombas here and Dagombas there, what about the rest?”

“If they are not ready, they should let us sit down around a table and discuss issues that can resolve the matter because this is a very sensitive issue that is brewing up in the North so we shouldn’t talk about relocation now. The IGP should sit up and let us come to the table to talk about the issue.”

In any case, Mr. Opoku said there were human right issues to be taken into account before any relocation, but expressed doubts that government has any well-structured plan for the relocation.