[ad_1]
Security has been tightened in the courtyard of Intercity STC in Ho, following an attack on the premises by persons suspected of being members of a secessionist group.
When the Daily Graphic visited the facility yesterday morning, there were tight security measures there, with several officers and men from the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) patrolling the area.
The location was also noted to be unusually quiet, giving an indication that the Ho STC Yard was not operating.
Intercity STC management had confirmed the strengthening of security at the Ho shipyard.
Last attack
In the latest attack, some people believed to be members of the secessionist group completely burned one Intercity STC minibus, while another was partially burned, in Ho in the early hours of yesterday.
The group also posted warning signs in the courtyard of STC and the entrance of the Volta Regional Police Headquarters addressed to the Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Yao Archibald Letsa; the Minister of Energy, John-Peter Amewu, and the deputy for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, for condemning their activities in the public space.
Police statement
A statement issued by the Ghana Police Service on its Facebook page assured the public that the police had launched investigations into the burning of the STC buses and subsequent attacks on their drivers.
“The preliminary investigation shows that there were 11 vehicles parked at the time of the incident. One bus was completely burned and the other slightly burned. The flag of the group, which calls itself West Togoland, was found at the scene,” he added.
He called on the public to remain calm and volunteer information to sister police and security agencies.
Attacks the region of the bite
The attacks by the secessionist group are affecting the region, as fear has gripped its residents.
Beneath the peaceful atmosphere at Ho, residents express concern for their safety.
Security agencies have been called upon to reinforce security in the region, especially in state institutions, and also increase the visibility of police patrol teams to provide some guarantee of security to people.
Yesterday, the Volta Chamber of Regional Chiefs joined the chorus calling for independent and transparent investigations into the events of last Friday to bring the perpetrators to the record.
The bosses asked people to take into account the ethnocentric comments they made against the volunteers because such statements and behaviors had some consequences.
Asogli Warriors
The State of Asogli said yesterday that it was ready to deploy its warriors to protect its territories, in collaboration with the nation’s security agencies.
At a press conference in Ho, Asogli State Warlord Togbe Adzie-Lakle Howusu, on behalf of the Asogli State Agbogbomefia, said that Togbe Afede XIV and the Asogli State Council were committed to ensuring a peaceful and united Ghana.
He said they were ready to work with the government to ensure peace and stability in the Volta region and the country in general.
He condemned the group’s “criminal acts” and urged the government to carry out investigations into the facts and make those involved face all the rigors of the law.
Togbe Howusu also advised the group to use the proper channels to address their concerns.
Resident views
Some Ho residents who spoke to the Daily Graphic said the time had come for the government to stop handling the group with child gloves and instead apply the full force of the state to arrest the ringleaders behind the unrest.
A media practitioner, Maxwell Awumah, emphasized the need for the media to research the issues to obtain the correct information to help educate the nation, as distortions in the system could have empowered secessionists to wage the attacks.
Mr. Dzidefo Elorm called on the government to improve its security intelligence and launch a thorough investigation into the burning of the STC bus “because some people could also hide behind these secessionists to cause chaos.”
A merchant, Ms. Adzo Mawuena, called for the group’s leader to be arrested.
Ho Municipal Executive Director (MCE) Prosper Pi-Bansah described the attack on the STC yard as a “surprise attack”.
He said investigations were underway to get to the bottom of the incident.
Intercity STC reacts
In reaction to the attacks, Intercity STC management assured commuters who frequent Accra-Ho buses that the security measures implemented would cause the Police Service and GAF to dispatch their men to the facilities daily to ensure safety. of travelers and company staff. reports Nana Konadu Agyemang.
“We are in contact with the security agencies, especially the Police Service and the army in Ho, to ensure that at any given time, they have their men in position at our terminal to help prevent future attacks,” said the Director in charge of Intercity STC Operations, Nana Kwabena Sintim Aboagye told the Daily Graphic yesterday.
He said STC was still the provider of buses that were safe to travel with.
In shedding light on the attack, Aboagye said that she received a report from the company’s Ho manager around 2.15 a.m. that there had been an attack on the company’s terminal and that two of the minibuses had caught fire, with one bad Burned.
He said that while a security man who was at the post at the time of the attack was assaulted and his mobile phone was taken from him, none of the company’s staff, including drivers, were injured.
He said those who carried out the attack fled, but left a flag to show they were members of the separatist group.
He claimed that the attack had not affected the company’s operations, as the Accra-Ho bus service continued to operate.
[ad_2]
