Massive turn-out at Western Togoland meeting

The Homeland Study Group Foundation (HSGF) has held its first general gathering, reigniting the call for the restoration of the Western Togoland from Ghana.

Attended by a huge number of people from across the Volta Region, the meeting, held on March 16 at Ho last month, sought to strategise on the way forward with regard to having a sovereign state.

More than 500 people attended the meeting with the 450-capacity Assembly Hall in Ho bursting at its seams. More than 250 chairs had to be made available to take care of the overflow.

In his address, executive chairman of the HSGF, Mr Charles Kormi Kudzodzi - popularly known as Papavi Hogbedetor, said the Foundation was focused on its mission but admonished the people to eschew all forms of unlawful activities as they go about their call for the total liberation of their country.

Many executive members of the HSGF, Trineety Warn Mawunyo, told the media that the people of the Western Togoland (Volta Region) were all-too determined to have their own country and "we would do everything legally to make it successful."

“Indeed, we will not rest until we have independence,” added Mawunyo, who was part of a peace demonstration on January 14, this year, that turned violent at Alavanyo-Dzogbedze, a town at the regional capital, Ho.

According to Mr Kudzodzi, there was much security threat from the government, reminding the newly-created Western Togoland General Assembly how the Ghana government through her police were harassing members of various chapters and branches on their civil campaign.

"Among this was the Rambo-style arrest of some members of the Ho branch on February 23, 2019 for going on a health walk. They were later released on bail. Another occasion was the Abotiase case which is still pending; the erecting of a campaign sign board was also seen as a threat by the District Chief Executive at Abotiase."

Mr Kudzodzi was upbeat about the feasibility of the Western Togoland sovereignty and called for support from individual countries and benevolent individuals in this drive.

The HSGF has established the Western Togoland Consultative Assembly, whilst the Judicial Council of Western Togoland has also been inaugurated.

"We want to make it clear to the whole world and the Ghana government that we are peacefully fighting for our separation and recognition, we do not know why one land was divided into two and one will be granted a sovereign state and the other half plunged into a perpetual servitude in another land," Mr Kudzodzi added.

In 2017, three out of the seven members of the HSGF who were charged with treason felony when they appeared before the court presided over by His Lordship, Justice Charles Agbevor.