The Asogli State Youth and warriors have thrown a challenge to members of the Homeland Study Group Foundation to join them in helping state security agencies to unravel recent happenings in the Volta Region if it is indeed not involved in recent troubles attributed to the group.
It will be recalled that a group of people, suspected to be members of the association advocating for the creation of a Western Togoland state out of Ghana, blocked roads leading to the Volta Region and attacked two police stations.
The group also attacked the State Transport Corporation’s Yard in Ho and set one of the company’s vehicles ablaze.
The Asogli Traditional State Youth and Warriors, in noting the Homeland Study Group’s opposition to the violence urged its members to join them in finding justice.
“We, therefore, want to lend our fullest support to the call of our traditional leaders on the warriors to rise up and protect citizens to complement the efforts of the state security apparatus since security is a shared responsibility. We also call our sister traditional rulers to be on high alert in the Volta Region to put their warriors on high alert, so we can protect our heritage. We are therefore throwing a challenge to the separatist group to join us and the warriors to join the state security to unravel the notorious perpetrators of this criminal act,” convenor of the group, Fafa Degbor, said at a press conference on Tuesday, October 6, 2020.
We’re not behind recent attacks in Volta Region – Homeland Study Group
The Homeland Study Group Foundation denied any involvement in the recent violent incidents in the Volta Region.
Leader of the group, Charles Kudzordzi, popularly known as Papavi, said his group has always been non-violent in its push for part of the Volta Region to be made autonomous country known as Western Togoland.
“The Homeland Study Group Foundation is a peaceful group; a peace-loving group, a peace-generating group, a peacemaking group,” he said in an address from Ho.
Attacks on police stations and roadblocks in the region on September 25, as well as the raid and torching of buses at the Ho State Transport Corporation yard, have been attributed to the Foundation.
Security personnel also said they foiled a plan by the group to burn down the Ho Central Market and other key installations.
But Mr. Kudzordzi said he has always favoured dialogue in dealings with state authorities.
“I have made myself available to the police and to the security agencies on several occasions. Anytime they wanted me, I went there, we had a discussion and then I came home.”
He further said he had initiated attempts for dialogue with the government but to no avail.
“I have on two occasions written to the government of Ghana and the President to have us sit down and have this matter discussed at a round table conference. No attention has been paid to the letter.
He urged the state to complete its thorough investigations into the incidents before making any conclusions.
“Ghana should intensify its level of investigations against people who do things and not just suspect and arrest people.”
Speaking subsequently on Eyewitness News, George Nyakpo, the group’s spokesperson, criticised the state for using excessive force in its dealings with the group.
He felt members of the group have cooperated with police since the arrest of some of its members on November 19.
Some of the group’s members were arrested and slapped with treason felony charges but those charges were eventually dropped pending further investigations
“We have reported to the police, Interpol, for over seven months so why is it that for someone who is reporting to you continuously you now send military men to break his door?”
Mr. Nyakpo also refuted claims the group was involved in the violent incidents which started on October 25.
“I don’t know why this case is being stretched this way because our founder is very clear. We are not a militia group and we are also not training anybody.”