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Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has disputed claims that the plebiscite that led to the creation of the Volta region had a set deadline.
Speaking to the press on Sunday, Oppong Nkrumah mentioned that around 58% of the population voted to be part of Ghana after a plebiscite in 1956.
“It is not true that the plebiscite had a time limit and that after a few years someone could choose not to participate.
“It is also not true that the majority of the people in the plebiscite have voted not to be part of Ghana, that is not true, I believe that approximately 58% voted in favor of being part of Ghana,” he added.
His comment comes in reaction to the Homeland Study Group Foundation’s argument that the agreement to join Ghana included the formation of a union in 50 years, hence the group has advocated separation from Ghana since 2007.
The group is campaigning for the Volta and Oti regions to secede from Ghana and form a sovereign state called Western Togoland.
According to the Minister of Information, these clusters have entered areas that were not even part of the conclusions reached in the plebiscite.
“It begins to give the impression that there are reasons beyond the substantive claim that these groups are making.”
In addition, he stressed that the security agencies are diligently treating the problem to alleviate the situation.
However, he mentioned that the issue in question is being seen as a criminal act against the laws of the country.
“You have to do it in a balanced way so as not to overreact and end up increasing tensions even more, as has been observed in other countries and other jurisdictions. When you overreact to some of these situations, things get out of hand.
“It has been a balance between the rule of law and the use of what we call adequate or appropriate force to contain the situation,” he added.
He assured the people of Ghana that these perpetrators will be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
