Obuasi police disperse protesting Anyinam youth
The Obuasi police last Wednesday fired volleys of tear gas and warning shots to disperse hundreds of protesting youth of Anyinam, a community near Obuasi, who were demonstrating against Anglo Gold Ashanti (AGA) Obuasi Mine over lack of power supply to the community.
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For more than four hours, the police had to battle rampaging youth who burnt tyres and barricaded the entrance to the Kwesi Mensah Shaft to prevent workers of the company from going in or leaving the mining area.
A police Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle had the windscreen smashed.
The Obuasi Divisional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Mr Kofi Dwumfour-Berchie, said that the police had no choice but to fire tear gas and warning shots to control the mob.
“For now, they have dispersed but we will continue to monitor the situation to prevent unwanted development, “ he told the Daily Graphic.
Seven of the protesters were arrested by the police and the angry youth vowed to use all means available to them, including getting back to the streets, to force the police to release them.
The protestors said the community had a 70-year-old agreement with the mining giant, which mandated the company to bear the cost of electricity supply to the entire community.
Recently, the company replaced the old transformer, resulting in power outages.
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Worse of all, for about two weeks, the community had not enjoyed electricity supply, a situation which angered the youth and drove them onto the streets in protest.
Anytime the protesters were dispersed by the police, they would regroup and march on to the streets.
Attempts by the Daily Graphic to speak to the General Manager (Public Relations ) of the AGA did not materialised as management was locked up in a marathon meeting.