Let’s remain united in fight against secessionists

A Professor of History, Kwame Osei Kwarteng, has said the country must remain united in its fight against secessionists in the Volta Region.

In doing so, he said political and tribal considerations must be shelved since any such tendencies could jeopardise the peace in the country, especially when there were crucial elections in December  this year.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic yesterday, Prof. Kwarteng, who is also the Dean of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), said the fight against the secessionist group was non-negotiable and the government must use “strong military power to deal with those behind it”.

“It should not be treated as a political issue. Anyone or group that attempts to politicise or tribalise it must be condemned because we are a united country,” he added. 

Last Friday, a combined team of the military and police quelled an insurrection by members of the Homeland Study Group Foundation (HSGF) in parts of the Volta Region after the group blocked roads and attacked some state installations.

In the aftermath of the disturbances, many groups, including the Council of State and the National House of Chiefs, have called for measures to stem the tide to protect the peace in the country.

Sharing his view on the issue, Prof. Kwarteng said the action by the separatist group must not be tolerated because if it was allowed to fester, it could spell doom for the country.

He said anyone who was found to be fuelling the activities of the group, irrespective of who they were, must be “dealt with drastically” to protect the interest of the country.

The historian added that the country was a united entity despite the cultural and ethnic diversities and that must not be mortgaged for anything.

Historical antecedent

Citing historical antecedents, Prof. Kwarteng said although parts of the Volta and Oti regions, as well as the northern sector of the country fell under the Trans-Volta Togoland, a German territory, the area had been integrated into Ghana after the 1956 plebiscite and no one could change it.

“Today, we have Togbe Afede who hails from the Volta Region as the President of the National House of Chiefs; Mr John Peter Amewu is the Minister of Energy, also from that part of the country; our Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, is from the Mamprugu area; so we are all one and no one can separate us,” he said.

The dean, therefore, said the leadership of the separatist group had no justification whatsoever in what they were doing and so must not be treated with kid gloves.

Background

The HSGF, a group championing the secession of parts of Ghana along the border with Togo, declared independence for the territory they call 'Western Togoland' on November 16, 2019.

The leader of the group, Charles Kormi Kudzodzi, announced the separation of Western Togoland from Ghana after a meeting in the Volta Regional capital, Ho, after which some members of the group were arrested for their illegal action.

On December 30, 2019, the Northern Regional Police arrested 18 suspected members of the group who were alleged to be holding a meeting in Bimbilla to recruit some youth in the area.

On December 1, last year, the police further arrested 10 people in Tumu in the Sissala East District in the Upper West Region said to be connected to the secessionist group.

And on February 17, this year, the 66 Artillery Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) rounded up 21 people, also suspected to be linked to the HSGF from a secret training camp at Kpevedui, near Dzodze in the Ketu North municipality of the Volta Region.

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