Barely nine days to the referendum on the six new regions, the residents of the yet to be created Oti Region has acknowledged it is at war with extreme anti- Oti crusaders, declaring their engagements as rebellious with an allegiance to a flag other than the Oti flag.
The declaration of a state of emergency and an all-out war against anti-Oti creation has been discussed by the youth when they arrested two men riding on anti-Oti branded motorbike.
The dou were nearly lynched at Pai Katanga in Krachi East Municipal Assembly but for swift intervention of New Patriotic Party Constituency Chairman, Castro Ahenkora.
The anti-Oti campaigners from Exi in the Southern Volta pleaded guilty and begged to be spared. They told the gathering they didn’t know the magnitude and implications of saying NO to Oti in the area. And promised to go and come no more.
Reports says but Ahenkora, who managed to calm and instructed the irate youth to take the victims to the private residence of Hon. Patrick Jilma, the Municipal Chief Executive for questioning because there is no Police Post at Pai Katanga, the narration would have been different.
‘Some elements of a self-elected group calling itself (One Volta) and fighters against the creation of a new region out of Volta Region escalated tensions within the Oti enclave, with their VOTE NO to Oti campaign posters’.
Castro told this paper in a telephone conversation that they took the gentlemen to the MCE’s house for their safety and to find out who their financiers were. ‘We wanted to know if they have any reason to campaign against the creation of Oti, so we could all join hands to make their work easier’. He said.
Castro said they were amazed to discover that the gentleman does not reside in the area, neither does he have a vote in the area. ‘What could be the motivation of someone who is not and would not be affected by the creation of Oti Region to devote resources to campaign against it? He asked
“These actions amount to a declaration of war and a deliberate attempt to undermine the authority of the people in the Oti enclave and threaten its territorial integrity,” Ahenkora Castro told The Hawk Newspaper.
“These actions amount to a declaration of war and a deliberate attempt to undermine the authority of the people in the Oti enclave and threaten its territorial integrity,” the youth said in a press statement.
” we have seen a systematic effort by this terrorist’ group to destabilize the Oti agenda and test our collective resolve, but ours is boosting the youth and mandating an all-out crackdown’’. They said.
‘We the youth of Oti would not allow any individuals or cooperate entities entry into our land with such an intention to foment troubles to destroy the enviable peace Oti land has enjoyed over the centuries’
They argued in their statement that the Guans were settled on then Gold Coast, now Ghana before anyone else arrived. And that they are on their own land, linguistically, culturally & legally. They said they are autonomous and owe no allegiance to any tribe or group of people in the region but themselves.
‘We do not understand why we should be subjected to such senseless opposition while we are on our land’.
For Chairman Castro, the ‘war’ against ‘anti-Oti’ must be won to save communities in the enclave from the trauma and ceaseless neglect and marginalization.
According to the political actors of the area, they have severally warned and served notice to those who opposed the creation of the new region to keep their distance from the area since any attempt to derail their effort will be met with excessive force.
To them, one can entertain him or herself with anti-Oti chorus in his or her hut, but certainly not within the confines of Oti. ‘you can sit in your small corner elsewhere and speak against the creation but please don’t dare go come here to run your mouth because to us, it’s a taboo.
Investigations revealed that they were handed over to Dambai Police for questioning.
The Hawk Newspaper reported some months ago about a man who was severely manhandled at Dambai, the District capital of the Krachi East Municipal Assembly when he was seen campaigning against the creation of the new region.
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