March 29, 2024

The Oti and Volta Regional House of Chiefs has disowned a ‘rogue group’ which purportedly represented the people of the area and on several occasions and put out statements on its behalf advocating for independent nation.

In a statement issued in Ho last week and signed by the President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, Nana Soglo Alloh IV decried the “unwholesome behaviour leader and his rogue group for misrepresenting the people and portraying them to the public in bad light”.

The statement read; ‘the membership of the Volta Region House of Chiefs has received news of the declaration of independence of a western Togoland, which is alleged to include parts of the Volta Region, Oti Region and some part of the Northern Region.

‘The Volta Region House of Chiefs wishes to make it categorically clear that the Volta and Oti Regions and their Chiefs and people remain part of sovereign state of Ghana and as such, continue to be and remain Ghanaians and will continue to owe their allegiance to the sovereign state of Ghana.

Endorsing the statement by the House of Chiefs, the former Chairman of the Joint Consultative Committee for Creation of Oti Region and doubles as the Paramount Chief of Krachi-Traditional Council, Nana Mprah Besemuna III (Krachi-Wura) has dissociated himself and members of his paramouncy from activities of Independent Western Togolanders

Speaking over the weekend at the climax of the Annual Sankyiba Festival of the people of Nkonya at Nkonya Wurupong, Nana Mprah Busumuna II stated, “I want to use this platform once more to address the issue of Western Togoland. It is true that we the people of Krachi District, which now constitute the Oti Region were at a point in our history within trans-Volta Togoland”.

He added, “However, in 1956 plebiscite, we voted massively to join the Gold Coast to become Ghana. We have since NOT regretted the choice of our forefathers. We wish to declare as loudly as we can, that we are proud of our heritage as Ghanaians. We have NOT contracted any group of persons to fight or canvas for their return to Togoland. As far as we are concerned in Oti Region, this issue is dead and dead forever”.

The revered Paramount Chief thanked the President of the nation, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for their share of the critical roads programme.

“The Vice President Dr. Bawumia cut sod on 19/11/2019 for the Jasikan-Dodo-Pepesu Project, Hohoe-Jasikan Road, Dambai Town Roads, Jasikan-Wowuwura Roads and Nkonya Wurupong-Kwamekrom Road. We are grateful because we are interpendent, that the fortune of one is the fortune of all”, he said.

Nana Mprah Besemuna III ( Krachi-Wura) was however not happy with the delay in creation of a political district for his compatriots at “Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lolobi and Likpe”, stating, “the delay in creation of such district have left our compatriots in political limbo”.

He also underscored the, “critical need to construct of a bridge over River Oti” but is unhappy it was not captured in government critical roads programme in the 2020 budget.

The Paramount Chief of Nkonya Wurupong Tradidional Area, Nana Kwadwo Asiakwa II in his address appealed to the Ministry of Tourism and Ghana Tourism Authourity to partner the Biakoye District Assembly to get investors to develop the many tourism potentials in his area.

He mentioned the waterfalls and ancient sites at Mount Owarebo and Mrabo, two adjoining mountains in area that has huge tourism potentials and appealed to government to upgrade the Nkonya Wurupong Health Centre, since it has not received any major face lift since Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah constructed it in 1958.

Mr. A. Amoako-Atta who was represented by the Oti Regional Minister, Nana Kwasi Owusu Yeboah, stated numerous interventions that the government is doing to ensure the development of the Oti Region and urged the people to support the government.

The Sankyiba Festival depicts the history of how Nkonya people moved from Central Region to Senchi, and gradually was led by their fetish priest to their present day Nkonya land.

It shows how their forefathers struggled, worked hard to secure a place called Nkonya. Nkonya is part of the Guan tribe, the people believed to be the original settlers of modern-day Ghana.

They are farmers, fishermen and are kind and generous people. The Festival is to honour the great leaders in the past and to reposition the Nkonya State for the future.

Background

On November 16, 2019, the leader, with about 100 people in attendance at Moleme in Ho, unlawfully declared the Volta Region as a sovereign state of Western Togoland.

Following the declaration, seven persons were arrested and put before court for the offence of treason.

On December 4, the police arrested 21 members of the Homeland Study Group Foundation championing the agenda of Western Togoland in Ho.

The suspects were said to be planning a demonstration following the arrest and detention of seven members of the group.

The statement by Nana Soglo

 

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