Collapsing the Volta Bridges

Recent developments emanating from the Volta region of Ghana seem to be creating a certain degree of concern both in political and social circles, prompting many to wonder whether the incidents are mere isolated cases or they are well-orchestrated ones.

For instance, in January, 2017, a Ho-based group, calling itself The Homeland Study Group Foundation (HSGF), threatened to declare independence for Western Togoland (Volta Region) by May 9, 2017.

According to the group, Ghana’s hold on Western Togoland, which stretched from Bawku East district in the Upper East region and bordered the Volta River down to the Gulf of Guinea, was illegal.

Leader of the group, Charles Kudjordjie catalogued alleged atrocities visited on the people of the Western Togoland, citing the Apollo 568, the construction of Akosombo dam, the Aliens Compliance Order, and unsavoury utterances against Ewes, among others as his reasons.

It took a ruling by the Ho High Court to put the matter to a temporary rest, as the group in July, 2017 went ahead to petition the United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU).

Later, another group resisted attempts to drill oil from parts of the region. In January, 2018, one Soloman Kwawukume, warned government against its intended exploration of oil in the Keta Basin in the Volta Region.

According to him, the exploration, to be carried out by Swiss African Oil Company would put thousands of lives and their livelihood at risk.

He claimed that the technology to be used during the exploration, required the blasting of rocks underground and could result in man-made earthquake, which could destabilise the Keta Sea Defence wall and as a result worsen the perennial tidal attacks in the area in addition to the collapse of buildings and polluting underground water sources.

This was followed a few months later by a massive demonstration by some residents of Keta and Anloga against the intended oil drilling.

Another resistance on record in recent months from the Volta region was in relation to the creation of new regions. Media reports in March, 2018, say hundreds of people marched the streets of the Volta Regional capital, Ho, in protest against plans to carve out a new Oti Region from the existing Volta Region.

The protesters, mostly the southerners, said they would be denied the economic benefits of the resource-rich northern part of the Region, which contributed a lot of cocoa, coffee and cola to the national basket. Incidentally, of all the six regions that are being carved out of existing regions, the only resistance recorded was from the Volta Region.

And most recently, the Asogli Traditional Council, made up of 33 traditional areas in the Volta Region declared Mr. Freddie Blay, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Chairman unwelcomed in the region.

This followed Mr. Blay’s alleged failure to apologise after he reportedly slighted Togbe Afede XIV, President of the Asogli Traditional Council and the National House of Chiefs.

Much as any communities in Ghana has the right to express its concerns and fight for what the members think is due them, THE PUBLISHER thinks that such demands or requests must be measured and assessed alongside the larger national interest.

In the paper’s opinion, creating the impression that the region (or a section of it) is being ignored, alienated or looked down upon is a total fallacy. If anything at all, such a perception, in our view, could rather dampen the morale of the vibrant descendants of the area and kill the sense of togetherness that exists among the Ghanaian youth.

Let us build more bridges among us, rather than collapse the ones we currently have.