My embrace of a Pan-African vision began in secondary school. I was active in the movement for continental unity of Africa as envisioned by Dr Nkrumah. I developed deeper understanding of this concept as secretary of the Pan African movement at Legon. My studies and consequent professional attainments and responsibilities, beyond Legon, have been framed by the urgency for unified black identity, continentally and existentially.

Black unity across Africa and the diaspora would consolidate and amplify our collective strength. The unity of over 1.3 billion people within the continent of Africa plus over 200 million in the black diaspora brings unequal advantages. The natural and human resources would bring unparalleled advantages.

By prefacing my self definition within the tradition of black unity, l wish to state my indelible opposition to the aspiration of an Ewe homeland.

It is an exercise in futility, a delusional driven movement of no direction, cause, and destination.

The hankering for a so-called Homeland is unsustainable, ruderless, and moribund.

The fear is that this lost cause could be seeded in restless youth who would crop up and sow havoc, meyhem, and chaos in our region. It's enough that Volta Region is grossly under developed. It is enough that the region faces discrimination in critical areas of road net work, health, educational facilities, manufacturing, water, electricity, etc.

But the response to these deprivation is not to set the region on fire. Imagine the scenario that your house lacks amenities and then the elders call for removal of the roof over your head.

Let's recall the lessons of Biafra, Western Cameron, etc. A war about secession would be fought on Volta lands.

Predictably, it would end in defeat. Predictably it would be destructive and set the region back at least half a century. What would happen in the melee is that arm dealers would find new markets to sell weapons for Africans to kill each other. Russia, China, USA, Germany, France, etc would fight a surrogate war at zero cost of the lives of their citizens.

Ethnic divide in Ghana would exacerbate. Take the case of Rwanda. Let's not romanticize the yearning for a homeland. Let's not draw the analogy between Ewes and Israelis out of delirium. Wars of secession incur exacting and untold tragedies on the proponents.

The nightmare of the unburied, unmourned, unaccounted would become everyday reality. The cries of the unmourned and unburied would mirror the painful harvest of thorns from this travesty and futility.

If the proponents of the movement are genuinely driven towards positive transformation of the region, why would they not roll their sleeves and set to improve life in the region. Let's seek relevance through setting up business; let's work collectively to improve education; let's patronize startup companies; let's Celebrate our culture; let's have unity across Eweland as apparently there is discrimination among various Ewe ethnicities; let's have equality among all who live in the Volta region/Ghana regardless of gender, religion, locale, class and education.

My appeal is to the youth who are shadowing the misguided adult leaders of false history. Ask these adults what they have personally done to make meaningful and concrete change in life in the Volta Region. What is their contribution to education, Business etc. What is the goal beyond destruction of the region. How would they reconstitute the region after the inevitable struggle which would emanate from their misguided acts.

I plead with young people not to live vicariously after older adults who are at the crossroads of their lives, and suddenly they are confronted with their own empty lives.

Asking for a homeland for Ewes who are part of Ghana is the equivalent of claiming your kids are not legitimate enough and therefore you wish to have surrogates to mother or father new set of kids.

Do we seriously wish to join the President Eyadema's dictatorship. He has been approved to continue his reign to 2030 and may even maintain his status till he's carried into the grave.

We know the projected destination of this secession movement. Does it compare with the past whereby since 1956, Volta Region has been part of a consolidated state of Ghana.

There is no romance about being asked to dovetail onto a nation of staggering depression and deprivation. Where is the hope? Where is the hope? Where is the hope? Where is the hope? Alas. It's a dream of thorns. Where is the hope?

Chris Kwame Awuyah

Downingtown Pennsylvania

May 16, 2019