Suame Mugabe Escapes Lynching; Amidst Hooting & Pelting
But for swift intervention by the Ashanti regional police command led by DCOP Afful Boakye Yiadom, who whisked away Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs to safety, he would have been lynched by angry spare parts dealers at the Suame Magazine in Kumasi yesterday.
MrOsei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who is also the Member of Parliament for the area had to virtually run for his dear life to seek protection on top of a storey building which houses Tarkwa Maakro Ghana Commercial Bank, seized with trance of fear and shivery.
The MP was hooted, pelted with sachets of water, coconut husks among other items the traders could found as missiles against him; as they chased him away in a very embarrassing spectacle that attracted hundreds of onlookers.
This paper has gathered that, not even the presence of police reinforcement could deter the irate youth from attacking the veteran lawmaker, who has been in Parliament on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) since 1996.
Multiple reports indicate that, the unprovoked attack on the legislator follows attempt by him to address his constituents and traders following the resumption of work on the Suame-Maakro road.
It would be recalled that the spare parts dealers,last week,organised a demonstrationagainst the MP where they blocked section of the highway and called on authorities to ensure work resumes on the road.
They warned of another demonstration if the contractor does not return to the road to have the road fixed. But the contractor had returned to the road with the MP and was going to inspect the work done when the chaos ensued.
The angry artisans, upon hearing the arrival of the MP, thronged the highway and started hooting and pelting him with sachets of water. They charged on him amidst shouting, away! Away!! Awaya!!
The lawmaker, who was accompanied by the Municipality Chief Executive (MCE) for the area, Mr Maxwell Ofosu Boakye, and some party members, were chased away to the Tarkwa Maakro Ghana Commercial Bank, where he took a graceful refuge.
Despite meeting with the leadership of the spare parts dealers, the angry artisans were still gathered in front of the storey-building on which the MP was hiding, chanting war songs until a re-enforcement of police officers was called in, to help maintain law and order.
They specifically accused the MP of deceiving them that he was going to provide them with an interchange at the Suame Roundabout, and to also fix the deplorable roads in the area; one of the biggest commercial enclaves in the Ashanti Region.
Meanwhile, after escaping the attack from the irate youth, Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, later addressed the media, and assured that efforts are being put in place to complete work on the road as early as possible.
According to him, he understood the anger of his constituents, stressing that their frustration is admissible.
“If they are really angry that it has been a while since the scraping of the surface and the dust is killing them, certainly when they see any government official, they will vent their spleen on the person. So, I am not worried,” Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said.
He, however,had to be whisked away into a waiting police vehicle, immediately after the address.
Source: Anchorghana
