... As Mob Chases Out Omanhene's Delegation

The Wassa Fiase chieftaincy dispute took a dramatic turn last Wednesday, March 17 when four delegates sent to Benso, the traditional capital, by the Omanhene, Osagyefo Kwamena Enimil, to make a donation of ?9.7 million to one of the schools in the town were chased out by a mob.

In the process, one of the delegates, Nana Akwasi Akrosah, who is also an elder of the Wassa Fiase stool, took to his heels to his house, locked up the main gate and hid in a room for almost nine hours before being rescued by the police.

Nana Akrosah's counterpart, one Nana Bonfu, was rather unlucky as the mob pounced on him and beat him up mercilessly.

The remaining two more youthful delegates escaped to the bush and walked seven miles to nearby Mahamo village where they were later rescued by the police.

Information available to The Chronicle indicates that on that day, Osagyefo Enimil had sent the four people to Benso to present the donation to one of the local schools as scholarship to motivate children to enroll in school.

The Chronicle gathered that before sending the delegates, the Omanhene had discussed the issue with the school management committee so the information leaked out that the Omanhene was going to do the presentation that day.

Armed with this information, some youth from nearby Manso, apparently opposed to his rule, organized to disrupt the ceremony.

It was gathered that when the Omanhene's delegates got to Benso, they parked their car and headed straight to the school for the presentation.

Whilst the ceremony was going on, the driver of the car discovered that some youth were trying to deflate the tyres.

Sensing danger, he called one of the delegates and they attempted to escape in the car to Tarkwa but found the road barricaded and therefore turned back to Benso where they parked at the local secondary technical school and escaped to the bush to avoid being lynched.

When the angry youth failed to locate the car and its occupants, they allegedly ran to the school where the presentation was taking place, with the intension of seizing the money but the ceremony had ended before they got there.

The youth were reported to have poured their venom on the two other delegates, both divisional chiefs, and attempted to lynch them after the headmistress of the school; Madam Golda Selby had denied that the money was in her custody.

According to the account, one of the two, Nana Akrosa sensing danger, ran to his house where he locked himself up in a room.

Though the agitated youth tried to compel Nana to come out by throwing stones at the door and on the roof , he refused to surrender.

Meanwhile, the two delegates who had escaped earlier, telephoned the Omanhene to inform him about the ordeal they were going through.

Osagyefo Enimil was reported to have informed the police who went to rescue Nana Akrosa. They also rescued the remaining delegates who had sought refuge at the nearby village.

A police source at Tarkwa has confirmed the story but said no arrest had been made.

Meanwhile, investigations continue.