Security agencies search for leader of armed robbers

Bekwai Omanhene swears oath of allegiance to Asantehene

Legon don receives UN Secretary General's Award

Tema (Greater Accra), 27^th October 99

The Security agencies have mounted a big search for George Amoako, leader of eight armed robbers who looted San Bao Pharmaceutical Company at Kpone on Sunday night.

One of the robbers identified as Abinga was shot dead while two others were wounded in a gun battle with the police and the military. They mentioned their leader as Amoako based at Ashaiman.

The robbers who were armed with weapons including AK 47 assault rifles stormed the newly established Free Zone factory at about 10.30 p.m. and broke into 12 rooms under heavy gun fire.

The wounded included three Chinese nationals, Mr. King, Sales Manager, Mr. Chang Shingschi, Pharmacist and Mr. More Kenai, Electrician who were tortured with gun butts and iron bars to surrender cash on them. Eight other workers sustained minor injuries.

One of the Chinese who was seen by the robbers using his mobile phone, narrowly escaped death when the robbers fired several shots at him. Luckily his call went to his director who also called the police.

Items stolen from the premises included 2,900 dollars, three million cedis, jewels and a mobile phone.

The robbers were unable to take away TV sets, Video decks and other personal belongings which they had packed into two vehicles of the company but abandoned it when the military and police arrived on the scene.

Some of the robbers left behind their slippers and took away shoes belonging to the factory workers.

The Chinese said they feel seriously traumatised and insecure by the incident at the factory which was commissioned on September three, this year, by President Jerry John Rawlings.

In another development, Madam Naa Afieye Ashong, MP for Kpone Katamanso has commended the Police and the Military for the prompt response to the call which helped to rescue workers of the factory.

She said it is unfortunate that armed robbers are bent on sabotaging government's efforts at bringing investors to Ghana to help create employment and improve the country's economy.

She called on the Tema District Security Committee (DISEC) to take up the challenge to protect investors at the Export Processing Zone by working out a system that would give them 24 hours security.

Madam Ashong recognised the assistance given by the Tema Municipal Assembly in support of the security agencies and appealed to other companies in Tema to also donate in cash or in kind to help improve security.

GRi

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Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 27 Oct. '99

Nana Karikari Appau II, new Omanhene of Asante-Bekwai, yesterday swore the oath of allegiance to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, to complete the customary rites of his installation.

This, thus, marks the end of the eight-year-old tortuous and bitter dispute over the "Ayeboafo" stool.

An earlier attempt by Nana Appau to swear the oath of allegiance run into controversy over his legitimacy to the stool.

The Abusuapanin of the Bekwai Oyoko Royal family, Nana Kwasi Aboraa, insisted that although a royal, Nana Appau and his lineage had been debarred from occupying the paramount stool because of a taboo of incest committed by their ancestors in the past.

He alleged that one Abayie from the family of Nana Appau had inappropriate sexual affair with one Konadu, a blood relation which resulted in a pregnancy.

Nana Aboraa maintained that when this was brought to the notice of the then Bekwaihene, Nana Karikari Appau, he ordered that the culprits and the illegitimate child should all be killed while members of their family were ostracised and barred from ascending the "Ayeboafo" stool.

He said the Bekwaihene thereafter created the Manwere stool for that family and stripped of title to the paramount stool.

Re-acting to the Abusuapanin's allegations, Nana Osei Akoto, Abakomahene of Bekwai, and an elder brother of the new Omanhene, denied the charge and described it as untrue, fabricated and mischievous.

He made it clear that there wasn't and has never been any Manwere stool at Bekwai and produced the list of Chiefs of the paramountcy, Government's gazettes and several publications caused by Nana Aboraa himself to prove his contention.

Nana Akoto pointed out that no stool had been created exclusively for his lineage and that like all other Royals of the "Ayeboafo" stool, they have title to both the Abakoma and "Ayeboafo" paramount stools.

He cited instances where occupants of the Abakoma stool which he now occupies, had ascended the paramount stool and mentioned Nana Asonare Kwame, the 9th Bekwaihene, and Nana Kwame Bona, among the lot.

The Abakomahene stated that those Chiefs were directly from his lineage.

Touching on the incest, Nana Akoto said although such a taboo was committed at Bekwai, the culprits, Akosua Polisi and Kwasi Addai, her direct uncle, were not from his lineage.

He explained that when the incident was brought to the notice of the then Omanhene, Nana Karikari Appau, he sent for the culprits but Addai managed to escape, adding that, two sheep were slaughtered and drinks offered to the ancestors to pacify them and cleanse the family.

The Abakomahene said the then Twafohene, Nana Kwabena Gu II, interceded on Madam Polisi's behalf and the Omanhene asked that Nana Gu took her to his town, Ampunya and that was where she stayed until she died.

He said the child from the incest was delivered stillborn and that the woman who committed the taboo had three male children before the incident.

This, was collaborated by Nana Kwabena Gu III, present Twafohene, who revealed that the estates of the children of Madam Polisi were inherited by the family of Kwame Gyamfi, who was a spokesman for Nana Aboraa.

The evidence of Nana Akoto and his family were so overwhelming that the Divisional Chiefs of the Kumasi Traditional Council and the Paramount Chiefs present at the hearing dismissed the Abusuapanin's allegations as mere fabrication and a ploy designed to deny the Omanhene of his legitimate title to the stool.

Having been cleared of the taboo charge, Otumfuo Osei Tutu asked Nana Appau to go ahead and swear the Oath of allegiance to him.

The new Omanhene is known in private life as Mr Kofi Tonto and aged 49. He is the Unit Manager of Old Age Pyschiatry, Lancashire Health Authority, United Kingdom.

GRi../

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Accra (Greater Accra), 27^th October 99

Professor Nana Araba Apt, Head of the Sociology Department and Director of the Centre for Social Policy Studies, University of Ghana, has received the UN Secretary General's Award in connection with the celebration of the International Year of Older Persons.

A statement from the office of the Vice Chancellor, University of Ghana, on Tuesday said the ceremony took place in the General Assembly Lobby in New York on October Four.

Prof. Apt was the only person to receive an individual award for her dedicated service in support of the UN programme on ageing.

She has done many studies in ageing in Ghana and Africa as part of her academic activities and in support of Help Age Ghana.

She also addressed the General Assembly on October Five on issues of ageing in Africa on behalf of Help Age International and the African Gerontological Society on whose board she is a member and president respectively.

Five organisations also received honours -- the American Association of Retired Persons, International Association of Gerontology, Institute of

Gerontology (Austria), FIAPA (FRANCE) and the International Institute of Ageing (Malta).

GRi

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