Regional News of Tuesday, 18 February 2003

Source: Chronicle

Students Trapped As 'War' Rages

Chronicle 'battlefield' reports from Alavanyo/Nkonya frontier, indicate that three weeks after the February 1 clash and the beefing up of security in the area by the government, all is yet to be over, as the madness of war has now resulted in the lynching of people perceived to be from the enemy camp, lunatics not spared.

Indeed, so serious is the situation, it is keeping students who have to go to school trapped behind enemy lines as they fear reprisals.

As at last Tuesday, as many as 20 students, all Nkonyas, could not attend classes at Alavanyo Secondary School and the technical schools there.

Similarly, Alavanyo citizens who are day students of Nkonya Secondary School dare not trek from Tayi to Ahenkrom.

Our search found out that some of the students have not been in school since Monday, February 3.

In an interview with some parents, this reporter was made to understand that, though police patrols have been regular along the road, hostilities are being recorded.

For instance, on Monday February 10, this year, a lunatic simply known as Kudjo, was nearly lynched at Tayi because he was an Nkonya native. The following day a madwoman called Aku also an Nkonya, was saved from near death by security personnel after she was attacked and brutally assaulted by people of Alavanyo for entering their territory.

In an interview with Madam Alice Mensah, a secretary to the paramount queen of Nkonya, Nana Abra Otubea II, it became evident that peace is far from sight.

Speaking to Chronicle later at Ho on behalf of the aged paramount queen mother, Madam Mensah said it is unfortunate that such shameful acts of atrocity should continue.

According to her, the two tribes have not been seeing eye to eye and ever since the clashes begun. "At present, three of my children, who gained admission at Alavanyo Secondary School are at home for fear of being attacked on campus," she said.

The spokeswoman said, she was very much concerned about the future of the children whose education is being hampered.

When Chronicle contacted the regional education office at Ho for comment, officials there were tightlipped under the pretext that the public relations officer was out of town.

However, the Hohoe district police commander, Chief Supt. Godwin Holly Horlenu, assured that a safe corridor has been created for road users from Ahenkrom through Alavanyo, and advised travelers to feel free to use the road instead of using the long route.

Chief Supt. Horlenu confirmed the brutalisation of Kudjo, the lunatic, and said the police had since handed him over to his mother at Ahenkrom.

Reconnaissance missions by this reporter noted heavy military presence at Ahenkrom, Tayi and Alavanyo, but Chronicle is focusing more on the forest at Kpetor, where more gruesome hostilities are reported to have taken place.