Minister of Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah admits there are still immediate threats posed by secessionist group Western Togoland Restoration Front.
Speaking on TV3‘s New Day on Monday, September 28, Mr Oppong Nkrumah said the state takes the action by the group seriously and will deal with them “with dispatch”.
Last Friday, activists calling for a secession of Western Togoland from Ghana attacked key installations and mounted road blocks in Juapong in the Volta Region, ostensibly to declare independence.
But their activities were foiled by a joint operation by state security agencies with 31 initially arrested and airlifted to Accra.
Four more have since been arrested, editors.3news.com has gathered.
One person was reportedly killed in the crossfire.
A police commander stationed at Aveyime-Battor in the North Tongu District was captured by the assailants with nine pellets removed from his legs, according to Mr Oppong Nkrumah.
A middle-aged man believed to be a member of the separatist group attempted to seize the Akuse dam.
Speaking on the issues, the Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi Constituency denied assertions that the security failed to pick intelligence on the activities of the group.
“The government is very committed to ensuring that the immediate threats are dealt with,” he announced.
“There are still outstanding threats even as I speak to you this morning,” he opened up to host Johnnie Hughes.
“They are ensuring that those threats don’t materialise.
“In subsequent to that, on a permanent basis, [they] will move in to deal with the activities of these persons who first of all made this unjustifiable claims and second hoodwinked other people on these claims.”
But challenging the claims made by the Minister of Information, MP for Adaklu Governs Kwame Agbodza said the Information Minister’s knowledge on the matter is limited.
“I am not convinced for a minute about whatever he said,” he stressed.
He indicated that his constituents had hinted him on Thursday that a group was embarking on a procession in the town and the security agencies were called in but their comb did not find these armed men.
“This group was fully armed more than the police to the extent that they went to Aveyime Police Station, overpowered the police, opened the armoury, took out AK-47s, 19 of them we are told, went into another location, did the same thing, stripped policemen naked, left with their briefs, marched them and locked them back into the cells and went to the part of the road and asked tipper trucks to dump sand on the road, mounted road blocks and the minister is telling me they are on top of security?”
By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|editors.3news.com|Ghana
