Vice President Mahama (second right) with an entourage at hHohoe

Ghana’s Vice-President John Mahama has said government is keen on restoring peace to Hohoe in the Volta Region, where the recent Zongo-Gbi communal disturbances has led to the imposition of a dusk to dawn curfew on the area.

Mr Mahama, at a meeting with the chiefs and elders of the Gbi Traditional Area, said while government tackled the issue, the chiefs of the Hohoe area should also assist in ensuring that peace and calm returns to the area.

Mr Mahama said the deteriorated Zongo-Gbi relations should be healed and that government would do the utmost towards that direction.

He said a programmed settlement plan would be conveyed to the Gbi chiefs sometime later in a closed door meeting with the Volta Regional Minister.

Mr Mahama observed that Hohoe was a strategically situated town, and would therefore be having much more interaction with visitors as a result of the Eastern Corridor Road.

On accusations that his visit was overdue, he said tackling issues like this were procedural and that there were various levels, such as the district, municipal and regional security committees, which had been on the ground.

Vice-President Mahama said government was continually assessing the situation and would relax or remove the curfew hours as soon as intelligence reports became clearer.

Togbe Adzima V, Chief of Gbi-Abansi who spoke for the Gbi Traditional Area stressed that what was happening was not a conflict of the Gbis with Moslems but rather an affront of some Hohoe-Zongo dwellers to the authority of the Gbi state.

Togbe Adzima said the recovery of the state regalia still hinged very much on any peace talks.

The Vice-President also met leaders of the Zongo Community where he made similar appeals for peace between the two sides.

Tahiru Mohammed speaking on behalf of the Zongo Community pleaded with the government to facilitate the purchase of a piece of land for their re-settlement.

Meanwhile Mr William K Aboah, Minister for the Interior who was with the Vice-President, announced the curfew had been varied to begin at 1900 hours for only yesterday (Friday) to enable access of both sides to the Vice-President.

Source: GNA

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