Offinso (Ash), April 9, GNA - The Offinso District Security Committee (DISEC) has said it was putting in place measures to ensure the protection of life and property in the wake of a controversy that had generated among residents of Kokote and three chiefs over the encroachment on part of the Kokote/Aboasu District Assembly Basic School land.

This followed a riot between residents of Kokote and some construction workers who were working on a project on a portion of the encroached school land last Saturday.

Mr Augustine Collins Ntim, the District Chief Executive and Chairman of the DISEC who said this at a meeting of opinion leaders and elders of Kokote at Offinso, appealed to the aggrieved residents to exercise restraint whiles efforts were made to resolve the issue. The crisis meeting was convened at the instance of the DISEC soon after the riot that nearly resulted in mayhem but for the arrival of the police who fired warning shots to disperse the crowd. Some had threatened to mete out instant justice to the construction workers if they dared to continue with the work. Residents of Kokote have accused some chiefs including Nana Asiedu Poku of Kokote, Nana Osei Kofi Nti of Dome and Nana Agyin Tieku of Aboasu of allegedly having a hand in the sale of a portion of the school land to a private estate developer.

Mr Ntim said the district assembly would confer with the Offinso Traditional Council to ensure the speedy determination of the case which is pending before the council.

Nana Oduro Wiafe, Gyasehene of Kokote who led a delegation of opinion leaders and elders to the meeting, called for thorough investigations into the circumstances that led to the sale of the land when the site plan indicates that the area is the school's property. He could not come to terms with the impunity with which people continue to encroach on the school land in spite of an earlier directive by Nana Wiafe Akenten, Offinsohene, to the effect that those encroaching on the land should put a stop to it.

The three chiefs have all denied selling or having a hand in the sale of the disputed school land to private developers. Nana Poku, Nana Nti and Nana Tieku, called for a thorough investigation into the issue to establish the truth. 09 April 07