Kabila 'slaps' fmr. Hohoe-South MP over Western Togoland brouhaha

James Kwabena Bomfeh, popularly called Kabila has slammed former Hohoe-South Member of Parliament (MP) Kosi Kedem over his recent statements regarding the Western Togoland brouhaha.

Mr. Kosi Kedem, speaking in relation to the attacks by a secessionist group demanding independence from Ghana, says Ghana doesn’t legally exist.

His comment has been considered as an endorsement of the actions of the group.

The Illegality of Ghana

The former MP argued, in a publication by myjoyonline, that Ghana has no legal standing due to a UN Resolution 1044 documentation required to ratify the union between the Gold Coast, a British Colony and Togoland, a United Nations Trust Territory.

"There’s no union document on the so-called union between Ghana (Gold Coast) and Togoland. Defacto, they are one [unit], but legally, Ghana does not exist," he reportedly said.

He explained in order for the union of the Gold Coast and the UN Trust Territory of British Togoland which forms present Ghana to be legally binding, a union document was needed but the document never materialized.

“Resolution 1044 which recognizes the recommended union, the same UN Resolution 1044 invited the British Government which was the administering authority to take such steps as necessary to bring about the union.

“So if a Trust Territory, being ruled by the UN and a colony being ruled by Britain are to come into union, what do you do? You have to sit the two of them down for them to determine what type of government they want to have, what will be their responsibilities, obligations and benefit. No such thing was done,” he said.

Mr Kedem believes that the absence of this union document is the main factor fueling the attacks by the secessionist groups.

The Plebiscite

A plebiscite was held by the people of the Trans Volta Togoland which saw them integrate with Gold Coast, now Ghana.

The plebiscite ended 58 to 42 votes in favour of those who wanted to become united with Ghana.

According to Mr. Kedem, the plebiscite was to determine the political fate of both the French and British Togoland but the union offer was rejected.

“The problem is that there was a plebiscite as a result of the UN Visiting Mission which came to the 2 Togos; French Togo and British Togo in 1955 and they recommended that there should be a plebiscite in British Togoland to determine their political fate.”

He said “majority of Togoland said that they wanted a union with independent Gold Coast” but “the UN General Assembly rejected the offer of the union and forcibly integrated Togoland with Gold Coast”.

" . . on the eve of independence around 4th March the British Government with the help of the CPP government just sent troops to Togoland and occupied the place on the pretence that they were quelling a rebellion,” he added.

However, he believes a dialogue between the secessionists and the Government of Ghana will suffice to resolve the issue.

“Violence, confrontation, repression they are very powerful, but dialogue negotiation and engagement are far more powerful than violence, because violence does not solve any problem, dialogue does. It gives you a long-lasting solution to the problem.”

Kabilla Pounces On Kosi Kedem

But Kabila is utterly disappointed in Mr. Kosi Kedem for claiming the formation of Ghana is illegal.

Speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Kabila took the former MP through some schooling, revealing a document exists to the effect that Ghana has a strong legal standing.

Kabilla referred to a Ghana Independence Act that was enacted during the transition period from Gold Coast to Ghana and a document signed by the then Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in the United Kingdom government stressing ''the territories previously comprised in the Gold Coast became the independent State of Ghana. Under the same Act, the union of the former Trust Territory of Togoland under the British administration with the independent State of Ghana took place with effect from the same time and date''.

He castigated Mr. Kedem for pulling the wool over Ghanaians' eyes saying ''the fact that you have not researched or you haven't found data doesn't mean that data doesn't exist. If you don't know, you don't know. It's arrogant to make that statement that Ghana does not legally exist''.

''Was he indeed a Member of Parliament? Did he learn? Did he research anything about the coming into being of this country called Ghana geographically, legally, constitutionally? The system of government we're working with, the unitary State, how we have a unicameral Parliament and not a bicameral Parliament; didn't he learn and did he not ask too?'' Kabilla shockingly questioned.

He also educated the separatists on their claims that a document was signed between their forefathers and then administration of Ghana that their union is subject to review after 50 years, hence it is their right to call for independence now that Ghana is 63 years old.

Kabilla stated emphatically that there exists no such document.

''This creating our own fiction and conjectures and visiting them on Ghana as if they're facts, we need to deal with them once and for all.''