National Security arrests radio host over comments about separatist group

The National security in the Volta Region has picked up the Director of Radio Tongu, Bestway Zottor, at his residence in the South Tongu District over some comments he allegedly made about his involvement in the activities of the secessionist group, Homeland Study Group Foundation.

The group has over the years been calling for parts of the Volta, Oti regions and northern Ghana be declared an independent state and named as Western Togoland.

Mr. Zottor allegedly criticized the Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa accusing him of “funding the activities of the separatist movement while in opposition but turning around to threaten them when his party came to power.”

Dr. Archibald, during a press soiree in the Volta Regional Capital of Ho, advised the press to desist from airing programs that seek to promote the activities of the group which declared parts of Ghana as an independent state on November 16, 2019.

The Minister said the media as the 4th estate of the realm is obliged to act in the supreme interest of peace and tranquillity in the country.

Mr Zottor, while speaking on the radio, also rebuked journalists who reported the call of the Regional Minister accusing them of compromising the standards of journalism and being accomplices in what he says is government’s efforts to curtail press freedom.

He went on further to talk about what he claimed is the true history of the area the Homeland Study Group Foundation called Western Togoland which he said has minerals which could not be exploited because the UN had effected a regulation that bars Ghana from exploiting any natural resources in the Volta Region especially.

Mr. Zottor acknowledged that the police in the South Tongu District had held a meeting with him in May 2019 and advised him not to make commentaries that are inciteful; a piece of advice he heeded until the Regional Minister’s recent caution to the media and to his station by extension.

He dared the security agencies to “record his program and juxtapose same with the true history of the area to see if he peddled any falsehood”.

He also asked the security agencies to arrest him.

He thus cautioned against the torturing of persons proclaiming the independence of the said Western Togoland state.

He said, “no such person is a threat to Ghana and should not be subjected to any form of torture”.

Bestway Zottor’s arrest becomes the latest addition to the several people standing trial for acting in a manner that threatens the peaceful existence of Ghana.

The octogenarian leader of the group, Charles Kormi Kudzordzi also known as Papavi Hogbedetor in his new year address from his hideout encouraged his followers to exercise restraint in their activism towards the “independence of the Western Togoland”.