Ghana’s opposition MPs chase after national security minister over secession fears

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The Minority in Ghana’s Parliament is demanding that the Minister of National Security, Albert Kan Dapaah, be hauled before the House.

Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu, who is leading the charge wants the Minister to update the house on the current security status of the country.

It follows a purported declaration by a group calling themselves the Homeland Study Group Foundation (HSGF) who wants to break away from Ghana.

According to the Minority Leader, such activities threaten the country’s stability and there is the need for the Minister to update Parliament on measures being taken to protect the nation’s sovereignty from such groups.

The group wants parts of Ghana’s Volta, Oti, Upper West and Northern Regions be named the Western Togoland.

A number of arrests have been made as the police pursue the leader of the group Charles Kwame Kudzordzi and some other members.

During a business statement for this week, Iddrisu, who is also the Member of Parliament for Tamale South, however, said Members of Parliament should not be kept in the dark on how the Security Agencies are dealing with the issue.

“It would be for leader to note we have indications that the Minister for National Security will address us on this threat to the stability and sovereignty of our country in the name of the Homeland Study Group of Trans Volta Togoland”, the Minority Leader said.

He further stated, “…It is important that the Minister for National Security apprises this house on how they are dealing with the potential threat to our state and its security… it’s a matter of concern to us”.

Dockets of 10 Western Togoland Separatists arrested in Tumu forwarded to AG

Meanwhile, a District Court in Wa, the Upper West Regional capital, has remanded into police custody the 10 suspected members of the Western Togoland Movement who were arrested in Tumu, a community in the region.

Detective Sergeant Martin K Dagbortse of the Upper West Regional Police CID who is prosecuting the case pleaded with the court to remand the suspects to enable him to duplicate a docket for the Attorney General’s advice on the matter.

The suspects are to reappear on December 23, 2019. The 10 have been charged with treason felony.

They have been identified as Micheal Hope, 49; Ishmael Dzerakor, 83; Togbui Kuoro ll, 93; Umborgati Samuel, 54; Umar Abdul Samad, 53; George Lihor, 49; Mohammed Karim, 45; Hordiba Innocent, 68; Kanu Emmanuel, 58 and Maglo Tsey Mawuli, 34.

They were arrested after police intelligence gathered that the group was at the Tumu Chief’s palace to court support from the Sissala Chiefs.

In November 16, the group declared the Volta Region through to parts of the Upper East region as the independent ‘Western Togoland State’.

The group first made calls for the secession in May 2019.

Over 80 members of the separatist group were subsequently arrested for assembling for a protest over the arrest of seven leaders of the Homeland Study Group Foundation.

It was also alleged that group leaders were training some youth to form the core of police and military activities in the supposed new country after the declaration of independence.

So far the police have arrested 41 members allegedly aligned to the separatist group.

By Jonathan Ofori, Daily Mail GH