There is heightening tension for a possible reprisal attack at Hwakpo, in the West Ada District, following an unprovoked attack and urine bath in which a group of persons led by one Isaac Addi Buertey Puplampu meted on three people who were sent by the Chief of Hwakpo, Nene Agbasi Dzikunu Ackwerh lll to beat gong-gong for communal labour.
The names of the other accomplices are Alex Puplampu, Evans Otiboe Osabutey, Emmanuel Sabah, Dartey Agorvor and William Buertey.
The rest are women believed to have perpetrated the urine bath are Mary Adi Yawa, Beauty Puplampu, and Esther Puplampu.
One of the victims had his arm dislocated while the other two suffered cuts and bruises as they were attacked by the man.
The heightening of the tension is a result of a decision by the Sege Magistrate Court asking the victims to go and settle the matter with the accused persons at home without a directive about who should mediate.
The decision has infuriated the victims and their youth supporters who trusted the court to take the alleged case of assault with seriousness and ensure justice prevailed.
The victims and their families, who chanted their disagreement towards the decision of the Sege Magistrate Court said they had suffered continuous attacks from the same persons led by Isaac Addi Buertey Puplampu, a self-styled chief, who has been fighting their gazetted chief in order to misappropriate their lands for far too long.
“How is this possible when these same group of persons, led by Addi Buertey Puplampu, would be attacking us in our community? The chief of Hwakpo, Nene Ackwerh III instructed my brothers to beat the gong-gong for communal labour. And then from nowhere, Addi Buertey Puplampu and his boys pounced on my brothers, injured them and bathed them with urine. How can such a serious matter like this be settled at home without giving clear indication on who should mediate? For what?
“Isn’t the court instituted to administer justice by going into the matter and punishing the guilty person? As a family, we have been restraining ourselves from defending ourselves in the same measure Addi Buertey Puplampu and his thugs have been attacking and injuring our siblings because we can do worse than what they are doing.
“We are respecting the rule of law but if we feel we can’t get justice from the court, then, we will advise ourselves as a family. We equally have men in our family to stand for one another,” a peeved relation of the victims said.
When this paper contacted the Chief of Hwakpo, Nene Ackwerh III, about the disappointment and anger of the victims and the youth in the community, since he ordered the beating of the gong-gong for communal labour, he noted that he understood the pain of the victims and their family.
“It is obvious the continuous attacks by Isaac Addi Buertey Puplampu and his thugs have gotten to an unbearable state to my people and l think the court will be the best to put matters to rest before it gets out of hand.
“l didn’t want to challenge the decision of the court, but l think the victims have a case if they say that we cannot settle this matter except the court, so l will try to prevent any reprisal attack until the next court date 29 September 2022, when l will ask the court to continue with the case,” Nene Ackwerh noted.
Already Isaac Addi Buertey and others are standing before the Ada District Court for their involvement in an illegal demolition of property of the Ackwerh family. He is also leading another group charged with causing harm to one Clement Ackwerh including charges of trespassing on lands that do not belong to him.
Some of the community folks who spoke with our outfit are expressing worry regarding the continuous disturbances led by the same person and are calling on authorities to intervene.