By Nicholas Osei-Wusu
Some youth and aged residents of Asaaman near Agona in the Sekyere South District in the Ashanti region have expressed concern over the tension and insecurity gradually rising in the community lately.
The situation, according to them, is the result of a feud among members of the royal family and kingmakers of the key Asante traditional town weeks after the death of the Chief, Barima Owusu Sekyere, last year.
Addressing a section of the media at Asaaman, Spokesperson for the concerned youth, Kwakwa Sarpong, noted that the call for interested parties, including the security agencies and the Manhyia Palace, to quickly intervene is to avert the progression of the fear and panic into a full-blown violent conflict.
They said even though the dispute, which has already led to the presence of two queen mothers in that town, an unprecedented situation anywhere in Asanteman, is already negatively affecting the progress of the community.
Nonetheless, the concerned youth say they would rather be content with the slow socio-economic development than be saddled with absolute violent confrontation, learning great lessons from the happenings elsewhere across the country, where protracted chieftaincy misunderstandings have led to the loss of lives and property.
They are therefore pleading, particularly with the Chiefs designated by the Manhyia Palace, to resolve the differences and give maximum attention to the matter to calm down nerves, especially among the youth, girls, and elderly, who are currently unable to go about their routine lawful activities like going to the farm and fetching water due to feuding factions on suspicion of factionalism.
