'I trust security agencies to handle Western Togoland separatists' - Akufo-Addo

President Akufo-Addo says he trusts security agencies in the country to handle the Western Togoland movement.

He says his job is to assure Ghanaians that institutions are in place to deal with separatists and he is on top of it.

“I have to be calm because institutions are in place. The security agencies are doing their work. They’ve started already and we’ll see results. If I panic, the country panics. It’s like the COVID-19 disease, if I had panicked, fear would have gripped all of us.

“But I know the work that God has appointed me to do, if I panic, the entire nation will also panic. That is not the purpose of leadership. I’m supposed to assure people that our country will work. What is happening in the Volta Region in the time of these handfuls – it’s just a handful of people, these secessionists – we’ll deal with it. I have no doubts about it. I trust the security agencies. I trust the Armed Forces. I trust the Police. I trust their leadership. The intelligence agencies, I know they are all working very, very, very hard to make sure that this matter is dealt with as quickly as possible’,” the President said while campaigning in the Ashanti region Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Vice President Bawumia said government of Ghana will not negotiate with the Western Togoland group.

His call came after a group of persons believed to be members of Western Togoland separatist movement Monday down attacked the State Transport Corporation (STC) in the Volta regional capital of Ho.

In this latest attack allegedly carried out by the group which follows an earlier attack on some state institutions and police stations including mounting of roadblocks on Friday 25th September 2020, some drivers in the yard were beaten while two vehicles belonging to the company were set ablaze.

Commenting on the issue in an interview on Asempa FM on Wednesday, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia stated that it will be senseless on the part of the government to engage the separatists.



“Negotiate with who, these criminals…on what basis? It doesn’t make sense. If so then we’ll be open to many things, tomorrow you’ll go somewhere and some group will get up and say the northern territory has to also be somewhere else. What we need is intelligence and we’ll try to deal with this.”