I'm for peace, not war, let's talk – Papavi

The leader of secessionist group Homeland Study Group Foundation (HSGF), Mr Charles Kormi Kudzordzi, popularly known as Papavi, has released a video message denying any involvement whatsoever of the group in the recent violence that erupted in parts of the Volta Region by some people who also claim to be activists for an independent Western Togoland.

In their first attack on Friday, 25 September 2020, the secessionists seized two police stations, took the officers hostage and stole weapons from the armouries after blocking entry and exit points in the Volta Region.

Subsequently, they torched two buses at the Ho STC yard on Tuesday, 29 September 2020.

Papavi, however, said HSGF had no hand in both incidents.

“The Homeland Study Group Foundation is a peaceful group”, Mr Kudzordzi, who is in his 80s said, stressing in his Ho address that it is “a peace-loving group, a peace-generating group, a peace-making group”.

According to him, he has been cooperating with Ghana’s security authorities following his arrests in the past together with some of his followers.

“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 also noted that his peaceful overtures to the government of Ghana have drawn blanks.

“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 complained.

In his view, “Ghana should intensify its level of investigations against people who do things and not just suspect and arrest people.”

A few days ago, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said his government will deal with the secessionist groups.

Speaking for the first time about the attacks launched by these groups in some parts of the Volta region in recent times, Nana Akufo-Addo said: “It is just a handful of people; these secessionists".

"We will deal with them".

"I have no doubt about it but there is no value for this country if I start making hysterical statements".

"I trust the security agencies, the armed forces, the police, I trust their leadership and intelligence agencies and I know they are all working very hard to make sure that this matter is dealt with as quickly as possible”, the President said in an interview on Accra-based Hello FM in Kumasi on Wednesday, 30 October 2020.

Also, Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia described them as mere criminals chasing after a nonexistent nation.

He told Osei Bonsu on Asempa FM’s Ekosiisen political talk show on Wednesday, 30 September 2020, that: “We are a very peaceful nation”, adding: “In fact, the most peaceful nation in West Africa”, according to the “global peace index and we’ve been independent since 1957 and generally, Ghana has not been a place where you’d find these sorts of issues coming up”.

“But recently, you’ve heard people talking that Ghana is not truly Ghana and I don’t understand it”, a perplexed Dr Bawumia said.

“I want to understand where they are coming from. That’s why I think it’s just criminal because the history doesn’t support what they are purporting”, he asserted.