Residents of some parts of North Kaneshie in Accra were forced to run for their lives yesterday morning when a gun battle erupted between factions of the Ga State at the Ga Mantse Palace.
The incident, which occurred around 8 a.m., also brought business activities around North Kaneshie and its surrounding communities to a halt, with employees and business owners abandoning their shops for fear of being hit by stray bullets.
The gun exchange was so dreadful to the extent that most of the people who fled, majority of them women, had to beg occupants of some houses to hide them in those houses.
Although the police were present in their numbers on the premises of the Ga Mantse Palace, the two groups were not bothered, as they kept firing at each other.
In the course of the exchanges, three men sustained injuries. One of them, who had used a machete to slash the right hand of another person, was nearly lynched but for the timely intervention of the police.
The police, although fully armed, did not take part in the exchange because of the difficulty in identifying the members of the two groups. The attire they wore made it extremely difficult for them to be identified.
What started the fight?
Explaining what had brought about the confrontation, an eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a group of armed macho men invaded the premises of the Ga Mantse Palace to disrupt an ongoing ceremony to install the new Ga Mantse, Nii Adama Latse, following an order given by the Accra High Court on Nii Latse’s behalf.
Numbering about 50, the witness said, the group tried to force their way into the palace, although the main gate had been locked.
“The other group of men, who were already inside the premises, attempted to stop the invading force and that led to a fight,” the witness said.
According to the witness, the exchange of fire began when the second group that had come to halt the installation ceremony called for re-enforcement.
“One of the men gave a warning shot and that brought about the exchange of fire,” the witness added.
Police invasion
A policeman, who also pleaded anonymity, said they did not intervene initially because they were waiting for orders from their superiors.
“When we arrived, we realised that some men were making the attempt to enter the chief’s palace, but before we could talk to them, we heard a gunshot. We didn’t want to force our way through because we were told to hold on until given further instructions,” he said.
Realising that the fire exchanges were becoming dreadful, he said, the officer in charge called for re-inforcement.
“It was at that point that the men who were in the Ga Mantse Palace started escaping by jumping over the walls. Most of them had come on motorbikes but they abandoned them and fled,“ he said.
He said the police had to ask the people to discontinue the installation rites because they did not follow the Public Order Act which mandated them to notify the police before embarking on any public event.
As part of measures to safeguard the area, the police mounted a massive wall around the Ga Mantse Palace and closed the road in front of the building.
Source: Daily Graphic
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hmmmmmmmmm, this our people will never cease to amaze me. are they saying they dont know who the right person to take up the throne is. they should go on disgracing themselves. fulllllsssssssssssssssss
PLEASE DO NOT BRING THE ASHANTIS IN THE GAS AFFAIRS. WHY NOT MENTION THE FANTIS OR OTHER TRIBES BUT THE ASHANTIS? PLEASE LET THE GAS SOLVE THEIR MATTERS AND LEAVE THE ASHANTIS ALONE.FOR THEY ALSO HAVE THEIR OWN PROBLEMS THANKS.
where from this land guards and macho men coming from? when we were growing, there was nothing like that. These men are just lazy and don't want to do anything apart from fighting. Apes!!!
all these are ochestrated by the red,blue n white party in gh...they just love violence
What a disgrace for Gas. When all are celebrating the beautiful tradition of Asantes this is all u can do for yourself. And when you are done you want to compare yourselves to Asantes. ***barred word*** beings. Gross indiscipline. No wonder some of your chiefs engage in multiple land sales and all illegal conducts. Go and learn from the Asantes. They are not far from Accra
The anonymous ***barred word*** who try to assign any ***barred word*** event t the NPP are it again , when GA state is full of a confused bunch and there is no order yet you compare yourself to ashantis , am yet to see ewes fight as a result of chieftaincy issues . The GA state is a disgrace , put your house in order and stop blaming NPP, your propaganda will no more this time because ghanaians have become wiser now , you are doomed in opposition till 2046.
In all of NDC's 8-year rule, there were no Chieftaincy issues except Asantehene's futile attempts to usurp Techiman. There was only one case of cocaine, Naa Ayeeley whose issue was masterminded by NPP gurus. Just 3 weeks in government, the NPP has already recorded two cocaine cases and has just began meddling with Chiefs like they did the Ya-Na. It's all an attempt to weaken chiefs of all tribes except those they pay homage to. such a disgrace.
Karma at work. 11th June, 2011,land guard hirelings of Latse were given 300000 ghc at the seat of government to forcibly take over the stool house ot the Ga State and the palace. Furthermore, the land guards were given 24 hour protection with an armoured car in front of the palace and the legitimate occupants were pushed out and not allowed to Enter the premises. Now Latse wants to benefit out of the treasonable action to become a Ga Mantse when he has not even given a speech outside his bedroom. Wala hi, this will not see the light of day. Latse is not a royal by birth
WHAT A DISGRACE FOR GAS because the whole Ga state is turning into a lawless state because of this toxic chieftaincy and political cocktail tonic ; the problem for me is that the vast majority of these GA Chief clans and royal houses are uneducated and educated illiterates ; they have lost their historical status of their chieftaincy leadership ; there is no accountability and respect amongst GA people ; the whole leadership is rather split with the whole system mixed in politics ; today it is an NDC Chief ; tomorrow it is an NPP Chief ; the sad TRUTH is that because there are serious split GA today ; they have lost their lands to outsiders which if controlled and managed in the right could be earning a fortune for the people ; how can people like GAS be sitting in Accra and you northners like Jon Mahama and his family buyoing up Accra ; how can a tribe be sitting and fighting amongst themselves when Ashantis come all the way to buy up their lands but rather they fight amongst themselves whilst their children do not go to school ; their young men cannot find jobs but rather associate themselves to a criminal party like NDC and even that they do not get anything ; you illegitimate Chief like Ayi Bonte who rather prefers to follow Jon Mahama and the NDC like an aimless FULL ; GA PEOPLE SHOULD WAKE UP !!!!! AND THINK !!!!!!
Ga people and their chieftancy issues. Go learn from them. The people you hate so much, (THE ASHANTIS)