IPEG condemns actions of separatist group

The Institute for Peace and Governance (IPEG), has condemned the recent activities undertaken by some members of a separatist group in the Volta region.

The group, which calls itself as the Homeland Study Group Foundation, is advocating for the independence of residents of communities at the Western Togoland.

On Friday, members of the group blocked major access roads to and fro the Volta Region, leaving commuters stranded in the early hours of the day, as well as engaged in a confrontation with members of the security agencies, who were detailed to the areas to restore law and order.

A statement issued by the IPEG and signed by its Programmes Director, Mr Justin Bayor, and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), in Tamale, said: “IPEG views this act as a challenge to the power, authority, existence, and survival of the State and no State worth its sort would accommodate such miscreant behaviour”.

According to the statement, “It is becoming pretty obvious that these separatists have underlying grievances and disgruntlement that are fuelling their actions, of which faceless persons are capitalizing upon to execute their own personal and selfish agendas”.

“We fear that if these current grievances are not properly and quickly addressed, then it might snowball into new and dynamic discontentment in the nearest future to an extent that the State may not be able to withstand”, it added.

The statement, therefore, urged the government to employ all its power and resources to deal ruthlessly with all those identified to be part of the group.

It also urged the government to improve and intensify its intelligence gathering mechanisms to stop the activities of the separatist group and other terrorists related activities as the country was heading towards elections.

It further proposed to government to resource institutions such as the National Peace Council, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and other stakeholders to identify and engage leaders of the group to moderate their grievances to help halt their actions.