General News of Friday, 6 May 2005

Source: GNA

Kumasi residents in a fix over Wahala

Kumasi, May 6, GNA-Residents in the Kumasi are now in a fix as to when the much publicised "Wahala" demonstration will take place in the metropolis.

Their anxiety had come about as a result of the seemingly differences in the fixing of a new date for the demonstration following the cancellation of the earlier one announced by the Committee for Joint Action (CJA), organisers of the exercise.

The CJA had planned Thursday, May 5, for the demonstration, but the Ashanti Regional Police Command sought a high court injunction to restrain the organisers from going ahead, citing inadequate logistics and human resource to protect the demonstrators.

According to Mr. Kwaku Ayensu Opare Addo, Deputy Ashanti Regional Police Commander, recent security problems in the Ashanti region were having a serious toll on the strength of the police and had therefore asked that, the demonstration be rescheduled to May 26, 2005.

However, the local representatives of the CJA had also announced May 12, as the new date for the demonstration in the Kumasi metropolis.

Mr Doe Tamakloe, a member of the local organising committee, speaking in an interview said the committee had already informed the police of the new date.

He said the event would take place on the new date whether the police were ready on not.

Mr Tamakloe accused the police of trying to sabotage the demonstration.

He said all the necessary arrangements had been made by the organisers and appealed to the general public to take notice of the new date and come out in their numbers to support the exercise.