Editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Kweku Baako
Veteran journalist, Kweku Baako, has kicked against calls by certain persons for the government to negotiate with the Western Togoland group.
According to Baako, the primary demand of the group which is a breakaway from Ghana is untenable and that a negotiation will make no change.
Baako said under no circumstance will government grant the wishes of the group as it will set a bad precedent for the country.
Amid calls by some security experts for the government to dialogue with the group, Baako is advocating for the use of force on the secessionists.
Speaking on Peace FM, Kweku Baako said government should not hesitate to apply force if the secessionist resort to force.
“If those making ugly noises about secession use force, then the state must use counter force. It’s as simple as that. If they will decide to use gorilla tactics then we must use force”.
“Secession is not negotiable. We cannot negotiate. It will never happen. They may be dreaming that they can do something. Once they apply force, we should use maximum counter force. They tried in 1957, Nkrumah had to deploy military force to crash them.”
Baako’s stance is at variance with that of security expert Professor Kwesi Aning who proposed negotiation is the best possible way of dealing with situation.
Kwesi Aning says history does not favour the use of force in dealing with secessionist groups.
“In the negotiation process, there is give and take. You don’t just use the law to punish people. The history of secessionism and the way these issues have been resolved does not speak to that (using force). In Liberia and Sierra and other affected nations, talking to those who feel excluded and have lifted arms against the state does not show weakness on the part of the state”, Professor Aning told Joy News.
