A group calling itself Western Togoland Restoration Front (WTRF), the political wing of “Homeland Study Group Foundation” seeking independence from Ghana, in the early hours of Friday mounted roadblocks in a protest to demand Volta Region as a sovereign state.

The group burnt lorry tyres on the ECOWAS road at Tademe, some kilometres away from the Sogakope Bridge in the South Tongu District impeding vehicular movement.

An unidentified member of the group, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) around 0556 hours on Friday the secessionist, who answered the call from the Chief Superintendent, Mr Dennis Fiakpui, the Sogakope Divisional Commander’s phone said they had in their custody about three police officers including “the one to which this phone belongs.”

He stressed that the group meant the “Western Togoland business” and would not subdue any power. In a press release purported to be coming from the secessionists earlier and titled, “The State of Western Togoland Has Peaked the Consolidation Phase of Its Statehood” the roadblocks were meant to assert the sovereignty of the southern sector.

The release among others demanded that Ghana’s agreement to come to the negotiation table, an end to all political activities in the area and a 24-hour ultimatum for Ghanaian security agencies to leave “Western Togoland.”

“All political activities within the new State are banned with immediate effect. Certain Radio stations are temporarily designated Western Togoland (WTL) State Radios till further notice, and all Media Houses within WTL are to focus their programming predominantly on WTL issues until further notice.

“All Ghanaian security forces are ordered out of WTL within 24 hours and must not take any weapons or ammunition along with them. All detainees of Western Togoland independence struggle are ordered to be released immediately and all court proceedings relating to that are ordered terminated with immediate effect.”



GNA sources in the area said the roadblocks, however, had been removed following subsequent involvement of other security agencies. The secessionists have for years been advocating the independence of some parts of the country made up of the Volta Region, Oti Region and North East Region to be declared Western Togoland State.