Member of Parliament for South Dayi in the Volta Region, Hon. Rockson-Nelson E.K. Dafeamekpor has condemned in no uncertain terms, the arrest of an 80-year-old man and seven others of the Volta Separatist movement.
He said the arrest was “needless”.
The separatist movement also known as the Homeland Study Group Foundation [HSGF] claims the Volta Region [Western Togoland] was an independent state before being made to join Ghana in a plebiscite.
They are therefore campaigning for the creation of an independent state called Western Togoland.
Arrests . . . Granted Bail
An Accra High Court on Wednesday remanded into police custody seven members of the Foundation as part of a wave of arrests.
One other accused person, Charles Kormi Kudjordji, 85, said to be the leader of the group, had been picked up earlier on Sunday.
They were reportedly picked up by National Security operatives during one of their usual meetings on Sunday in the Volta Region for planning to declare the region an independent state in Ho.
A team of police and the military has also picked up 81 persons believed to be part of the campaign to declare the Volta Region independent from Ghana.
17 of the arrested individuals, were picked up in the house of the leader of the group (Charles Kudzordi) who lives close to the 66 artillery regiment barracks.
54 of the people were also arrested aboard a bus entering Ho and the remaining 10 arrested at other entry points in and around the Ho municipality.
Charles Kudjordji was granted bail to the tune of GH¢250,000 with two sureties. He was conveyed in a helicopter to face multiple charges.
All of the persons picked up by the police were on Wednesday slapped with the charges of treason felony, abetment of unlawful training, unlawful assembly and offensive conduct.
But speaking in an interview on Neat FM's "Ghana Montie" show, the South Dayi MP was emphatic that “there is nothing treasonable with their Homeland Study Group Foundation [HSGF] activities.”
Listen to interview…
Foiled Plan
The secessionists had converged Wednesday morning at the residence of the Group’s leader who was arrested on Sunday and flown to Accra.
The assembled members of the cell were preparing to hold a press conference before the security team swooped in.
Senior State Attorney Winifred Sarpong told the three-member panel of High Court Justices that the seriousness of the crimes allegedly committed by the individuals made a grant of remand necessary.
In 2017, leaders of the group were arrested and warned not to engage in activities against the state.
Campaign to secede
Multiple ethnicities live in the Volta Region which has a history of rule by three colonial European powers.
Britain seized much of what is today Ghana, and Germany grabbed neighbouring Togo.
After Germany's defeat in World War One, the land was split between British Togoland and French Togoland.
When Britain left its empire in Africa, British Togoland became part of eastern Ghana in 1956.
But separatists say the area has its own unique history and culture, and want a country of their own.
Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/ Twitter: @Washman5/ Instagram: Washman007
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THIS THING MADE HUMAN AND GIVEN HIMSELF A HUMAN NAME SHOULD BE CASTRATED AND BANNISHED FROM PARLIAMENT. HOW CAN YOU TALK LIKE THIS. FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO GIVE THESE PEOPLE AUDIENCE AND NEGOTIATE WITH THEM. A FUUUUUUULIIIIIIIIIIISH MAN LIKE HIM
this ediot must be kicked out of parliament
Allow them to go.what will be their major export?Wee,of course.328183
I would like to know if the British Togoland or Trans Volta Togoland was forced to join the Gold Coast.I wonder why Togo has not claim the Western Togoland which formed part of Togoland before the defeat of Germany in the 1st World war.Now listen,when the Germans lost the 1st world war,it was not the Gold Coast that divided Togoland into 2 parts,Eastern for the French and Western for the British.The British and the French did not only conquer German colony,Togoland in Africa.They also divided Cameroun the same way. The Voltarians should know that they lost their soveriegnty to the Germans who were also then conquered during the 1st and 2nd world wars.There's no evidence that the Gold Coast demanded the British Togoland to form any union state.It was the British who demanded the United Nations to launch a Plebiscite for the Voltarians themselves to decide if they want to join the Gold Coast or remain British Togoland.About 55% voted in favour of joining the Gold Coast on the 9th May 1956. By the way,even before the plebiscite in 1956 the British Togoland has been always part of Gold Coast and was governed by Accra.They even participated in early general elections in 1951 and 1954.I think they must respect their own engagement and agreement in the plebiscite.Thank you.
Do not mine them. May be he wants be the president of that country
Those NDC top echelon behind this move should be circumspect and careful because Ghana without Volta egion is the end of NDC party winning election.If doubt what I am talking about they should check their election victories minus Volta region.
If they want to be like South Sudan, give them their independence and they will regret in no time. Much as we want to live together as one people, if they insists on independence do not let them bring tension to destabilise the country. Give them the independence, make a border wall to keep them out of entering Ghana freely so they will not come and access the free SHS, health insurance and the rest. The MP must bow his head in shame for supporting separation. WE WANT ONE GHANA, ONE PEOPLE, ONE NATION.
He want to be the president of the Ewe independent state, ***barred word***, he must be kicked out of the parliament. Inward looking ***barred word*** fooooool.