V/R: Tension heightens ahead of Oti region Referendum

Security agencies in the Volta region have warned of heightened tension in the northern parts of the region barely a day to the referendum for the creation of the Oti region.

This comes in the wake of the uncovering and retrieval of a cache of weapons at Alavanyo-Dzogbedze in the Hohoe Municipality on December 24 –  two days to the referendum.

Weapons retrieved included sub-machine gun (SMG) rifle No. 63254 and a locally manufactured short gun with large quantities of ammunition.

The alleged owners of the weapons have since been on the run.

“The campaign is so tense such that people are taking it as a life or death issue,” the Volta Regional Police Commander DCOP Francis Doku told Starr News.

He said his outfit together with Electoral Commission identified some 349 polling stations earmarked for the December 27 referendum as “flash points” and that deployment plan in those areas are far advanced.

There would be two security officers at each of the 349 polling station, he said with the military arranging “to give us backups in terms of patrol.”

“We on our part have also formed patrol teams that will coordinate security during the referendum exercise,” he added.

Special voting for the referendum towards the creation of the six new regions was held across the country on December 24.

Those who voted included personnel of the various security services who fall within the respective proposed regions and personnel of other state agencies who would be on duty on Thursday December 27, when the exercise will take place.

Source: starrfmonline