Mayhem at Ashiaman; Policemen, journalists flee for dear lives A violent demonstration by drivers and a section of the youth of Ashaiman yesterday in protest against the poor conditions of roads in the municipality turned bloody. A policeman who wanted to save journalists from the missiles thrown by the marauding youth was injured in the head and had to be rushed to hospital for medical attention. As early as 5 a.m yesterday, the rampaging youth blocked all the roads leading to the town by burning lorry tyres on the roads. The rowdy demonstrators accused their Member of Parliament (MP), Mr Alfred Agbesi, and the Municipal Chief Executive, Numo Adinortey Addison, of neglecting their needs, especially the rehabilitation of the roads. By 6 a.m, the actions of the demonstrators had spilled over to the Tema Motorway, where they took control over the toll booths and drove out the attendants, causing traffic jams on all roads towards the toll booth at the Tema end of the Motorway and on the Aflao and Afienya roads. They also vandalised every structure in their way.A policeman assists his injured colleagueA policeman assists his injured colleague Unable to contain the situation, the Tema and the Ashaiman Police called for reinforcement. Soldiers responded to the distress call to support the police to quell the violence that had, by 7 a.m., crippled business activities in the Ashaiman municipality and adjoining communities. In the melee, journalists who had converged on the scene to report on it and security personnel had to take cover to avoid being hit by the stones being thrown by the angry demonstrators. In the process, our photographer, Mr Samuel Tei Adano, escaped death by a hair’s breadth when a policeman who tried to shield him from the missiles was hit on the head and bled profusely. Sensing danger, the journalists took to their heels. The security reinforcement, however, yielded results, as the policemen and soldiers managed to bring the situation under control after four hours of violent protests. The police made 11 arrests and the suspects are in custody. Meanwhile, more than 200 policemen have been deployed to the area to maintain law and order. Three civilians were said to have been injured by the rioters, who also vandalised two police vehicles. Some residents of Ashaiman the Daily Graphic spoke to did not spare Mr Agbesi and Numo Addison for failing to fulfill their promises to rehabilitate the roads. The two personalities could not be reached for their comments. Ashaiman is known to be a place where vehicles from all regions have stations, from where they convey passengers and goods to other places on a daily basis. Many workers in Accra, Tema and other nearby communities reside in that community. The Ashaiman Divisional Police Commander, Superintendent of Police David Eklu, told journalists that the team would offer 24-hour patrol to residents and commuters in the wake of yesterday’s violent demonstration.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Jun 2013 07:57:03 +0000
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