2 INJURED IN A CLASH AT OSIEM (PAGE 21)

TWO unidentified persons were severely wounded on Sunday when the youth of Osiem in the Fanteakwa District in the Eastern Region clashed with members of the Saviour Church of Ghana over the burial of a member of the church at the local cemetery.
The two, one from each side, are on admission at the Engyiresi and Tafo Government hospitals.
The clash followed the decision of the church to bury the dead in contravention of an order not to do so, since the town was celebrating the annual Ohum Festival that forbids burials during the period.
During the confusion that lasted for about 30 minutes, the youth blocked the main road with stones to prevent members of the church from conveying the dead through the town to the burial grounds.
The youth, who were wielding bows and arrows, machetes, axes, hammers and stones, were also said to have gone to the cemetery to cover the grave that was to be used to bury the dead after which they blocked the access routes to the cemetery.
Members of the Saviour Church, who were also armed with machetes and other dangerous implements, however, fled with the corpse, which was in a hearse, back to the headquarters of the church, a few kilometres away from the scene.
In the midst of the confusion, one of the church leaders sustained an injury in the ribs while another person from the opposing side had a deep cut on the forehead.
Briefing the Daily Graphic, the New Tafo District Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Johnson Agbemabiase, said when the police had information that the church was preparing to bury one of their dead members at the cemetery, they advised them to suspend the burial.
This, the police explained, became necessary due to a ban on all social activities, including burials because of the Ohum Festival that prohibited such activities, adding that the church could only bury the dead after July 23, 2008 when the ban would be lifted.
He further stated that to find an amicable solution to the impasse, the police met chiefs in the area including the Osiemhene, Nana Opoku III, the Tafohene, Osabarima Adusei Peasah, and the leadership of the church to see how best to address the issue.
He said at the meeting, both sides agreed to consult the Eastern Regional Police Commander for advice after which the Tafohene asked the leadership of the church not to bury the dead until after Wednesday, July 23.
DSP Agbemabiase said the church leaders did not pay heed to the advice not to go ahead with the burial and claimed that they had “300 soldiers” to counter the youth of the town.
He said at about 9.20 a.m. on Sunday, the police had information that the youth of the town had blocked the main road to the town and engaged the members of the church in scuffles to prevent them from burying their dead at the cemetery.
When the Daily Graphic contacted the church leaders on the issue, they refused to comment with the explanation that they had to seek permission from the superintendent of the church.
Some of the residents of Osiem who spoke to the Daily Graphic were of the view that any breach of the two-week ban could bring about deaths, diseases, barrenness and hunger, among others, on the people.