Constituents of Asawase in the Ashanti Region have questioned the continuous tagging of the area as a hotspot for election violence.
According to them, although the area often records some disturbances during electoral activities, it is entirely not the case that they are violent as has been suggested.
Recent figures released by the Ghana Police Service show that the Ashanti Region has 635 areas identified as hotspots ahead of the December polls.
This makes it the region with the highest number of hotspots in the country.
Asawase constituency is one of the hotspots.
This is not the first time the constituency’s name has come up whenever the ranking is released.
Inhabitants of the constituency are not happy with this tag.
A resident Issahaku Braimah said “It is worrying to hear of these things. This is because I am a member of this constituency. Such a tag dents the image of us in this area. When we apply for a job or when we are seeking for something at another place, we are usually tagged as violent people, and we will not be able to get what we want”.
The constituents say they expect the police to always ensure fairness when mediating issues between opposing parties in the constituency.
This they believe can go a long way to maintain peace in the area.
Another resident also indicated that “The best way to solve this and to stop the tag is fairness and justice by the authorities. Wherever there is conflict, it means there is no fairness and justice. So I believe the authorities must always ensure fairness in whatever they do”.
The leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) share similar sentiments with the constituents and called on the police and other security agencies to discharge their duties without fear or favour.
4,098 hotspots identified for election violence – Small Arms Commission
Over 4,000 hotspots have been identified for election violence, following the proliferation of arms in these areas.
This is according to the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons.
Data from Police showed that 4,098 hotspots have been identified across the country. Regions with the highest hotspots include Ashanti with 635 flashpoints, 537 in Central, 405 in Eastern Region, and 323 in Western.
The porous nature of our borders has been a major source of illicit flow of arms into our country.
