The Police in Tarkwa Nsuaem in the Western Region have picked up some residents of the area for attempting to defy a court order barring them from proceeding with a planned demonstration on Monday over the poor nature of the Tarkwa -Ahwitieso road.
The planned protest is in defiance of a restraining court order secured by the Police.
Those arrested include the chairman and secretary of a group calling itself the Concerned Citizens of Tarkwa-Nsueam, as well as the bandsmen who were there to provide music.
As a result, the demonstration has been put on hold.
A spokesperson for the group, Kofi Yeboah said their legal team is working to secure bail for their members.
He further indicated that he will turn himself in as one of the lead protesters because the Police is looking for him.
“They have arrested the leadership excluding me. I was not at the scene because I was on the radio to tell the public that the demonstration is coming on. I am turning myself in as a person because they are looking for me.”
In April 2019, the group embarked on a 12-hour demonstration which turned violent as they blocked the Tarkwa to Takoradi road.
Convener of the Concerned Citizens of Tarkwa-Nsueam, Kofi Yeboah, told Citi News they are ready to face the consequences of their breach of the restraining order.
“We are saying that the contractor is on site but the road is not motorable. Is it not amazing that when the road has deteriorated most, the contractor is not doing anything? The demonstration will come off.”
Residents have in the past complained that revenue from the major economic activities in the area is not being channeled into local development.
The Tarkwa Nsuaem area is one of the leading producers of gold in Ghana.
Heavy-duty vehicles transporting cocoa, bauxite and manganese for export to the Takoradi Harbor also use the road, putting a lot of pressure on the stretch.
In September 2018, some Tarkwa chiefs led residents to block roads in a protest, bringing economic activities in the area to a halt.