Regional News of Wednesday, 8 August 2007

Source: GNA

Osu Divisional Council to hold a reconciliation ceremony

Accra, Aug. 8, GNA - The Osu Divisional Council is to hold a reconciliation ceremony at Osu Dadebunaa in Accra on Saturday to commemorate the cancellation of a long-standing oath made by the people of Alata Asafoi against the people of Kinkawe, both in the Osu Traditional Area in Accra.

A statement signed by the Nii Okwei Nortey, Osu Stool Secretary, on Wednesday noted that due to the long-standing dispute, brothers and sisters of the two groups, particularly the two Asafoi, had since the late 1940s not performed any joint ceremony nor lived together as one people.

The statement said the dispute started in 1956 when inadequate communication by the Asafo of Kinkawe to the Asafo of Alata about movements Kinkawe Asafo intended making in the Alata jurisdiction brought a challenge by Alata Asafo and a reaction from Kinkawe resulted in shots being fired.

The statement said there were casualties on both sides and a number of key Osu Alata citizens were imprisoned thus leading to the impoverishment of families and denial of formal education.