Two gates clash over Tamale Lorry Terminal in Aboabo

The two groups, under the guise of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), have in the past clashed over who had the right to enskin the next Ya-Na.

Eye witnesses alleged that the attackers, who were wielding machetes and guns, came around the station at about 6.30 a.m., and in the presence of armed police officers started inflicting cutlass wounds on those they perceived to be Andanis.

Police commander

The Ashanti Regional Police Commander, District Commissioner Of Police (DCOP) Mr Ken Yeboah, confirmed the clashes to the media and added that it was between the Andanis who were NPP faithful and the Abudus who also supported the NDC.

He said the police were at the scene maintaining law and order and added that the leadership of the two groups had earlier been invited for an amicable solution, but those found culpable would be prosecuted.

He explained that the command would take the matter to court to determine the real owners of the place as a lasting solution to the issue, adding that he would not tolerate any lawlessness, especially from political actors.

He said President Nana Akufo-Addo had charged the police to deal with law breakers ruthlessly, irrespective of their political colouration, and they would do exactly that.

Chairman Soldier

The Chairman of the station, Mr Issah Soldier, a member of the NPP, told the Daily Graphic that they had been operating smoothly without any problem from 1999 until the death of the Ya-Na in 2002, when divisions started cropping up within the ranks of the leadership along the lines of Andanis and Abudus.

He said the issue was amicably settled by the Dagomba Chief and some Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) leaders in the region.

2009 Attack

Mr Soldier said they also made sure that they secured all necessary documents from the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KAM) and other authorities and had operated the station until 2009, when after the swearing-in of President Mills, some Abudus stormed the station and smashed the windscreens of vehicles, inflicted machete wounds on people and chased others.

The chairman, who produced court and KMA documents to prove their ownership of the station, said the NDC guys, with the support of the police, who drove them away insisted that it was their turn to also operate the station.

He said they could not fight back as all they could do was to bide their time and wait for a change of government before they could take what was rightfully theirs.

2017 Takeover

Mr Soldier explained that on January 7, 2017 after the swearing-in ceremony of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the President of Ghana, the NDC guys on their own volition abandoned the station without any prompting from the NPP guys.

“We never attacked them, they left the station on their own volition immediately Akufo-Addo was sworn in because they knew the place did not belong to them. We established the station, we did not take it over from them,” he added.

He said when they saw that the place was empty, they took over and started operating, only to be hinted about three days ago that some NDC guys in the area had invited 20 guys from Tamale to help them attack those operating the station.

“We informed the police and they stationed men here. We also managed to arrest six of the 20 thugs from Tamale and have sent them to the police. But surprisingly, around 6.30 a.m. in the full glare of the police, the guys wielding cutlasses and guns attacked and inflicted wounds on us,” the chairman added.

They completed their attacks on six of our members and left without any of them being arrested by the police,” he added.