'Western Togolanders blocked roads out of frustration' – Oppong Nkrumah

The Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has claimed that the secession group in the Volta region/ Western Togoland Restoration Front resorted to blocking roads out of frustration on Friday because their plans to launch more dangerous attacks were thwarted by the state security agencies.

According to him, members of the Western Togoland Restoration Front have been on the watch list of the Security Agencies and were being monitored from time to time, adding that all their plans were picked up by the security agencies leading to the road blocks.

Speaking on the Morning Starr on Monday, Mr Oppong-Nkrumah said the government will handle Friday’s disturbances in the Volta region as a purely criminal issue.

“We consider what happened on Friday as a purely criminal matter and those who were involved have been arrested and will be processed for court.”

Mr Oppong-Nkrumah also stated that some of the financiers of the secession groups have been identified adding that names of such individuals will soon be published.

The Information Minister revealed that leader of one of the secession groups, the Homeland Study Group Foundation, popularly known as Papavi has absconded and efforts are being made to rearrest him.

“Papavi is believed to be on the run and outside Ghanaian jurisdiction but our security agencies are still on the hunt for him to face charges.”

Meanwhile, Security analyst, Colonel Festus Aboagye, says government has failed in the handling of the Western Togoland incident.



Speaking on the Morning Starr Monday, Coloney Aboagye said the state must admit its shortcomings and seek to do better in order to nib the action of the group in the bud.

“The definition of certain technical terms is not the preserve of politicians, we need to get that from the start. We need to admit that we failed. The fact that we did not see what happened on Friday coming and prevent it, that is intelligence failure,” he told host Francis Abban.

He also blamed the feet-dragging posture of the government on previous incidents of similar nature for the current situation.

“The way and manner in which we have dealt with the issue of treason have emboldened other groups”.