In this episode of “The Ghana Agenda” hosted by Alfred Amuzu, guests William Geraldo and Seth Mifetu, the Vice Chairman and PRO respectively for the People’s Liberation Council (PLC) of Western Togoland sought to clarify some issues pertaining to the Western Togoland and the way forward in dealing with the Western Togoland question.
In his opening remarks, the host Alfred Amuzu noted that secessionist movements in Africa were not uncommon and the continent had witnessed several of them including Katanga, Eritrea etc, yet since the end of colonialism just two nations have achieved full independence after some struggles namely Eritrea in 1993 and South Sudan in 2011.
Amuzu further in his remarks stated that the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which later became the African Union (AU) in 1963, chose to maintain the borders set by colonial powers to prevent border disputes. However, these monuments remain resilient due to economic, cultural and historical factors.
He observed that recent conflicts have been reignited, seen in the Anglophone crisis in Cameron and the resurgence of unrest in the Western Sahara regions – One more often and largely overlooked by the academia and the media is in the heart of Ghana which he observed if not addressed in time, could escalate, leading to tensions that could threaten Ghana’s stability, a nation with a strong standing reputation as one of Africa’s most peaceful countries with 3 decades of uninterrupted democratic governance systems.
Mr William Geraldo in elaborating on the topic for discussion: “Striving for Sovereignty for Togoland” explained that the People’s Liberation Council (PLC) of Western Togoland is an NGO established to educate the people of Western Togoland living now in Ghana and overseas.
He said the people of Western Togoland did not vote for separation or independence from the Gold Coast in the infamous Plebiscite of 1956, but rather voted to join their territory in Union with an Independent Gold Coast or Ghana. He stressed that the PLC has always stood for the effecting of the Union established by the outcome of the Plebiscite supervised by the UN and that the PLC was not and has never preached separation or independence as that was not what the people voted for in 1956.
Mr Geraldo sadly observed that the PLC has for some unexplainable reason become a taboo organization to the government of the republic of Ghana and has become associated with terrorism or secessionist activities that one dare not speak about Western Togoland and Ghana Union or whatever, for fear of intimidation, arbitrary arrests and even imprisonment without trial and called for a change of the status quo.
Mr Seth Mifetu in adding his voice to the call by Mr Geraldo also reiterated calls for negotiation between leaders of Western Togoland and Ghana and to find an amicable solution to this age old quagmire which is leading the two nations no where.
Mifetu refered to President Nana Akufo Addo’s speech he delivered during Ghana’s 66th independence anniversary celebration held near Ho in March, where the president admitted that it was the people of the Volta,Oti and some parts of Northern region (Western Togoland) who made Ghana what is was seeing that they were the only people who had the singular opportunity to decide to join their territory in Union with the Gold Coast and also called for dialogue in resolving these issues for a peaceful coexistence between the two countries.