Church activities at Beposo in the Sekyere Central District in the Ashanti Region have come under close surveillance by the police, following a clash between members of the local Calvary Presbyterian Church and the traditional authorities over a ban on noise-making.
The move is to prevent further clashes and thus protect life and property.
The clash, which resulted in injuries to three persons and destruction of property of the church, was related to a 40-day ban on noise making announced by the traditional authorities in line with the celebration of the annual Fegyare Shrine yam festival to give thanks to the gods for abundant harvest in the yam season.
But the Presbyterian Church maintained that it would not obey instructions emanating from a shrine as it was against the dictates of Christianity.
Two of the injured persons were from the church while the other one was an emissary of the traditional council.
The Sekyere Central District Police Command said it had intensified patrols, especially in the night, to prevent further clashes.
Briefing the Daily Graphic , the District Police Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Asamoah Agyekum, said the clash occurred at about 8.30 p.m. last Wednesday.
According to him, the chiefs on September 20, 2013 declared the ban on noise-making, which was to last for 40 days as part of the celebration of the festival.
The district commander quoted church members as saying that while having an evening service on Wednesday, some young men stormed the church premises and started destroying their musical equipment.
Attempts to ward off the attack resulted in injuries to one church member and another from the group that attacked the church.
Mr Agyekum said a female church member also reported to the police that she suffered injuries when the Twafohene attacked her in the mission house.
He stated that the injured persons were given medical forms to seek medical attention while the police continued their investigations.
The district police commander said no one had been arrested.
The incident comes seven months after the Minister in charge of the church, Rev. Simon Lambert, had made it clear that the church would not involve itself in the celebration of the Fegyare Festival.
At a public forum organised by the Beposo Traditional Council in February, this year, to discuss the development of the town, the Reverend Minister appealed to the chiefs to stop the moves to get Christians to actively participate in the festival.
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