Minister: Government Was Aware of Tuobodom Clashes

The Minister for Information Hon. John Akologo Tia, has denied assertions that the government and the security services were completely ignorant of what transpired between the Techimanhene and the chief of Tuobodom. Skirmishes broke out in Tuobodom on the March 6, after the arrest of the chief of Tuobodom Nana Baffuor Asare by bodyguards of the chief of Techiman, Oseadeayo Akumfi Ameyaw who later handed him over to the police. The two chiefs have been engaged in a protracted turf war over whether the Tuobodom chief owes allegiance to the Asantehene or the Techiman chief. In an interview with Citi FM breakfast show host Moro Awudu, Hon Tia said the government was adequately informed and assured by the security services about the developing situation in Tuobodom. He added however that he suspects the National security was not rightly informed about the situation which eventually led to the skirmishes in Tuobodum. �The regional minister, the DCE and the security services on the ground did inform the authorities in Accra that they were in control and that things were being managed fairly. We have people on the ground we need to have confidence in them and that is why they are there�so we cannot say that we were completely unaware�perhaps this is an eye-opener and maybe in the future we have to do more than what we hear from the ground� The National Security Advisor, Brigadier-General (Rtd) Joseph Nunoo-Mensah, is reported by Daily Guide to have said that the government and the National security were utterly unaware about what transpired between the Techimanhene, Nana Ameyaw Akumfi and the Omanhene of Tuobodom, Nana Baffour Asare, about 11 days ago. According to the National Security advisor, his outfit and government were ignorant about the security lapses in the unfortunate face-off between the two chiefs because they were misinformed by the security detail in charge of the region. But Hon. John Tia said that these claims were not specific since they were fully aware of the skirmishes in Tuobodom and were assured by the security services that they were in full control of the situation. He added that the government was not negligent in dispatching its duties because the government acted in accordance with the rule of law and the trust it had in the security services stationed in the town. �They said the situation was under control, they were investigating it so you have to allow them to do their work, government should not interfere, we are in an atmosphere of rule of law, and we should allow the law to take its course. So we were aware that there were these skirmishes there but the security agencies were in control�so were are not going to say that the government was negligent or unaware of it�. The former deputy majority leader of Parliament was unhappy that the Asantehene failed to draw the attention of government to the developing issues between the Tuobodomhene and the Techimanhene. According to him citizens must act responsibly and draw the attention of the right authorities to certain development that can threaten the peace of the nation. �We as responsible citizens if we are aware of certain developments that might threaten the peace of the nation we shouldn�t wait, we should be able to inform the very government that we think is responsible for checking peace and security�with all due respect to the Asantehene if he was aware of some of these things he should have drawn the attention of the government� Hon. John Tia called for more proactive measures by the National House of Chiefs to deal with the turmoil between the Tuobodomhene and the Techimanhene.