The Volta Region Minister, Madam Helen Adjoa Ntoso, has expressed concern about the increasing acts of lawlessness by some people in the Ketu South Municipality.
She stated that the district had taken over the status of “number one trouble hot spot” from the Alavanyo and Nkonya conflict zones and warned that the Regional Security Council would deal swiftly and ruthlessly with any group of individuals who engaged in riots, unlawful demonstrations and acts of vandalism in the municipality.
“The selfish desires of a few people cannot override the collective interest of the people”, the Regional Minister stated at a Regional Security (REGSEC) meeting at Denu.
The meeting followed the riot by a group of local salt miners who attacked the premises of salt processors, Kensington Industries Limited, between Kpedzakope and Adina on December 2.
The rioters, who accused the company of taking their livelihood from them, burnt a tipper truck and an excavator of the company, prompting the police to fire tear gas to disperse them.
The Keta Police Divisional Commander was hit on the head with an object by one of the rioters, while another took the Commander’s duty pistol and tried to shoot him at close range, but did not succeed as the gun was not cocked.
The Agbozume District Police Commander, ASP Mr. Moses Naa-Kolgo Agbegne, told the Regional Minister that so far, 15 people had been arrested in connection with the riots.
He said that it had also been established that nobody died in the disturbances.
According to Mr. Agbegne, three of the four rioters who sustained rubber pellet injuries and were rushed to the hospital, had been discharged, while one was still on admission at the Korle- Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.
The Regional Minister and the REGSEC members later visited the premises of Kensington Industries Limited located between Kpeadza-kope and Adina and met with the management.
Madam Ntoso condemned the act by the rioters as violent and totally unacceptable, saying that the law would take its cause and deal with the perpetrators.
She assured the industry that such an incident would not occur again as the security agencies were on the alert for anyone with such motive.
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