General News of Saturday, 14 July 2012

Source: Daily Guide

Gabusu Meets Zongo Face To Face

After several days of mediation and talks, DAILY GUIDE has learnt that Togbega Gabusu, overlord of the Gbi Traditional Council, will have the first face-to-face meeting with the Zongo leaders tomorrow at Hohoe.

This meeting will be a major breakthrough in the attempt to bring peace in Hohoe after the extension of the dawn-to-dusk curfew to 12 midnight to 5am.

The meeting is expected to give the platform for the two parties to have an amicable interaction and afford them the opportunity to work towards the way forward.

DAILY GUIDE also gathered that the Muslims would have the opportunity to personally apologize to the overlord of Gbi, Togbega Gabusu, the Traditional Council and the indigenes.

Togbe Gabusu is also expected to make a public statement on the entire brouhaha and spell out the proposed conditions to the Zongo community.

When the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Security Taskforce in Hohoe, Charles Annang, was contacted, he confirmed the meeting but refused to preempt it.

He however disclosed that the Municipal Security Committee (MUSEC) had given the Zongo community the green light to return to their businesses except those affected by the clashes for security reasons.

He added that engineers from the Ghana Armed Forces had taken estimates of the vandalised residence of Togbega Gabusu and work was expected to start any moment.

Meanwhile, day and night patrols have been intensified to maintain the peace.

The Zongo chief, Alhaji Tajudin Meriga, welcomed the news and added that “we are grateful for this meeting.”

He noted, “We hope the best will come out of this meeting.” Alhaji Meriga also confirmed that his people had been given the green light to return to their normal business but “we are treading cautiously”.

In a related development, the National Chief Imam, Sheik Osman Sharubutu, visited the Zongo Community and the Gbi Traditional Council yesterday.

His visit was a follow-up to the earlier one held a day after the clashes about a month ago.

He was hopeful that peace would return to Hohoe.