Fear and tension have gripped the Mpatuam community in the Ashanti Region following violent clashes at the Asanko Gold Mine concession that left the Assembly Member for Aboabo dead and two others injured.
The Assembly Member for Mpatuam, Ebenezer Opoku, disclosed this in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem.
According to him, the clashes have forced many men to flee the town, leaving behind mostly women and children.
“Schools have closed, businesses have shut down, and the entire town is quiet out of fear. Life has come to a standstill,” he lamented.
Mr. Opoku explained that the violence began when some young men reportedly dumped a body at the mine, claiming the victim had been killed by soldiers guarding the site.
“While we were trying to maintain calm, one of the soldiers fired a warning shot. The Krontihene and I ran to safety, but the Aboabo Assembly Member stayed to engage the group. That was when the soldiers fired sporadically, and he was hit,” he recounted.
The wounded Assembly Member was rushed to the hospital on a motorbike but was later pronounced dead.
News of his death triggered outrage, with some residents storming the mine and setting properties ablaze. Security reinforcement was later deployed, and military presence in the town has since intensified.
Mr. Opoku expressed disappointment at the sudden deployment of soldiers, insisting that Asanko Mines had coexisted peacefully with residents for nearly two decades.
“The local miners have always remained within their zones. We have never intruded on their concession. This could have been avoided if management had engaged the traditional authorities,” he said.
He further revealed that chiefs are making efforts to meet with mine officials but urged President John Mahama to intervene and order the withdrawal of soldiers to restore calm.
“We are waiting for the president’s response to our petition. There is panic here, and we want peace to return,” he appealed.
Meanwhile, Assembly Members in the Amansie West District have petitioned the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, over the recent shootings.
Source: Gertrude Otchere
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