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Collaboration between National Security , chiefs vital to quell separatist threats
The Osie of Avatime, Osie Adza Tekpor VII, has described the meeting between national security heads and the Volta Regional House of Chiefs in Ho over the Western Togoland secessionist issue and related matters a fortnight ago, as fruitful with bright prospects for addressing the problem effectively.
He said in an interview in Ho that it was gratifying that the government’s security heads have finally acknowledged the need to engage the traditional rulers in the quest for solutions in such sensitive matters, as it emerged from the meeting which was held behind closed doors.
Osie Adza Tekpor highlighted the need for all stakeholders, including the various political parties, to get involved in the process to quell the secessionist threats which were causing fears and anxieties among the people of the Volta Region in particular, and the country as a whole.
Meanwhile, he called for a speedy investigation in the recent attack on the Intercity STC yard in Ho by gunmen carrying flags and other insignia said to belong to the so-called ‘Western Togoland’ group, and make them face the full rigours of the law.
Osie Adza Tekpor, who is President of the Congress of the Paramount Chiefs and Queens of the Ho West District, expressed concern over the true identities of the attackers and said it was mind-boggling that none of them spoke Ewe to their victims.
“It is, indeed, worrying to realise that the people who claim to be fighting for the secession of the land of the Ewe people do not speak Ewe,” said the Osie.
He maintained that the attack had left the people of the Volta Region with more questions than answers, especially with regards to the identities of the aggressors, and that made a speedy investigation into the matter absolutely imperative.
Osie Adza Tekpor said that it was also essential to establish the identities of those killed during the terrorist acts in the Battor and the Juapong areas, “so that we can commiserate with the families of the deceased”.
He said that what the country needed most before, during and after the elections, was peace.
The Osie of Avatime revealed that the chiefs earlier drew the government’s attention to the early “warning signs and undercurrents” to the activities of the separatists “but these were swept under carpet”.
He pointed out that certain unguarded and discriminatory utterances against Ewes, by the some political figures in recent time was not helping the peace.
For that matter, Osie Adza Tekpor insisted that, the government must promptly and ruthlessly deal with those who made such divisive statements which could only foment trouble in the country.
From Alberto Mario Noretti, Ho
Troubled and anxious citizens in Damongo of the Savannah Region have expressed concerns about the number of young people, believed to be under the age of 18, involved in ‘shisha’ smoking in pubs and drinking spots within the township.
Eyewitnesses say the minors were seen patronising nightlife venues, where Shisha smoking happen in the open.
The situation has sparked renewed public concern over the enforcement of child protection laws and regulations governing the operations of entertainment centres in the municipality and country as a whole.
An eyewitness, who spoke to The Spectator on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, noted that the situation was becoming increasingly common.
“This is not a one-off incident. It is becoming very common, but residents like us cannot openly report or speak about it because our lives will be at risk,” he said.
Under Ghanaian law, minors were prohibited from patronising Shisha.
Public health experts have consistently warned that shisha use exposes users to harmful substances that can negatively affect brain development, respiratory health, and overall well-being, particularly among young people.
The residents believe the alleged incidents point to broader challenges relating to youth supervision, substance abuse, and weak enforcement of existing regulations and have called on municipal authorities, security agencies, and regulatory bodies to intensify monitoring of pubs and entertainment centres to ensure compliance with the law.
In an effort to address the menace, Mr Salisu Be-Awurbi, the Savannah Regional Minister, has led public education campaigns, engaged security agencies, and supported enforcement actions to address the rising use of illicit substances in the region.
Wura Kelly Seidu Boresah I, the Chief of Damongo, has also called on all stakeholders including parents, community leaders, institutions, and young people to actively support efforts to curb drug abuse, warning that the rising consumption of hard drugs poses a serious health threat to the future of the youth in the Savannah Region.
He also cautioned individuals involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs to immediately desist from the practice, stressing that offenders will face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
From Geoffrey Buta, Damongo, Savannah Region
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Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
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