The Oti Regional Minister, John Kwadwo Gyapong, has renewed calls for the establishment of a Circuit Court in the Oti Region, citing the lack of such a facility as a contributing factor to the persistent conflicts in the area.
Speaking on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey on Monday, June 30, Mr. Gyapong explained that the region’s only Magistrate Court operates once a week.
“When culprits are arrested and taken to the police station and they go to court, because of some of the handicaps that we have in Oti; we don’t have a circuit court in Oti. Even the Magistrate Court, it meets once in a week and it’s a very serios problem.”
According to him, the Magistrate lacks the jurisdiction to handle serious cases, limiting the ability of law enforcement to ensure justice and accountability.
“We are plaining that as soon as possible, we should get circuit court in Nkwanta in Oti. So that when these issues come and you are found guilty or you are arrested, you can be put in bars. Because some of these issues are beyond the jurisdiction of the Magistrate court .”
His remarks come in the wake of renewed ethnic clashes between the Akyode and Challa communities in the Nkwanta South Municipality, which have so far claimed seven lives, including that of a final-year student of Nkwanta Senior High School.
Two other students sustained gunshot wounds and are currently receiving medical treatment.
The violence, which erupted last Wednesday, June 25, has plunged the township into chaos, bringing social and economic activities to a standstill. All public and private schools, including Nkwanta Senior High School, have been closed, and non-indigenous teachers have fled the area out of fear for their safety.
Shops remain locked, and the once-bustling town has been overtaken by an eerie silence.
Mr. Gyapong has also visited the affected communities to sympathise with victims and their families. He called on the youth and traditional leaders to embrace peace and support efforts aimed at resolving the conflict.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Hamdia Mohammed
