National Security behind secessionists attack in Volta Region – John Mahama

John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress has cited the National Security in the disturbances that occurred in the Volta Region in September this year.

It will be recalled that suspected members of one of the three identified separatist groups blocked major roads to the region and cut off Aveyime, Adidome, Mepe, Akuse, Sogakope and Aflao from the rest of the country.

The separatists who were described as terrorist by the Interior Minister also attacked two police stations and kidnapped some police officers.

Speaking in an interview with Pan African TV, John Mahama said that information available to the NDC indicates that the attacks were not carried out by members of the Homeland Study Group Foundation.

He said the attacks were done at the behest of the National Security as part of a grand plan by the ruling government to suppress votes in the Volta Region.

He said the government wants to intimidate people and prevent them from coming out to vote on election day.

“We don’t know what they are deploying those soldiers to the Volta Region for. Maybe to intimidate the people. The Western Togoland people who went to put sand on the Sogakope road, they are not the real Western Togolanders. They are not Efo’s (referring to Papavi) people”.

“This is an instrument of National Security so they tell them what to do. We have intelligence that on that day they will attempt to disrupt things in the Volta Region and if they do it’s because National Security wants to suppress the votes in the Volta Region.

The Ghana Police Service has ahead of the elections identified 4000 polling stations and electoral areas as flashpoints.

The police said that security at these flashpoints will be beefed up to avoid any occurrence of violence.

But Mahama suspects the number is on the high side. He said during his time as a president, there were less than 500 flashpoints so he is shocked by the sudden rise.

“They come up with flashpoints and say there 4000 flashpoints in Ghana. Kwesi, (referring to Kwesi Pratt who is the interviewer) when have we had 4000 flashpoints in Ghana? In my time they were in the hundreds. In my time I don’t think there were more than 500 flashpoints. Suddenly, this election the election taskforce has declared 4000 and something flashpoints”, he told Kwesi Pratt.

Ghana goes to the polls on Monday, December 7 with John Mahama who lost power four years ago hoping to stage a comeback by defeating incumbent Nana Akufo-Addo.