We’ll deal with Volta secessionist group – Akufo-Addo breaks silence
President Akufo-Addo has vowed to deal with separatists in the Volta Region seeking to secede from Ghana.
The group, Western Togoland Restoration Front, mounted roadblocks, attacked a police station, on September 25. Four days later, the group allegedly attacked the State Transport Corporation (STC) burning two buses in the process.
Speaking for the first time over the recent disturbances in the Volta Region by the group, President Akufo-Addo assured that the security agencies were working assiduously to deal with the activities of the secessionists.
“Institutions are in place, the security agencies are doing their work, they’ve started already, and we’ll see results.
“What’s happening in the Volta Region is just by a handful of people. These secessionists. We will deal with them. I have no doubt about it,” the President said in an interview on Wednesday.
Several groups and individuals including former President John Dramani Mahama have vehemently condemned the actions of the group amid warnings for the secessionists to desist from further destroying properties.
There had been calls for President Akufo-Addo to address the nation over the actions of the group publicly.
In response, the President explained his silence on the matter in an interview on Kumasi-based Hello FM,
According to him, his silence was deliberate to ensure the country does not panic in the face of the riots.
“If I panic, the country panics…There is no value for the country if I start making hysterical statements,” he said.
“That’s not the purpose of leadership. I am supposed to assure people that our country will work.”
The President believes, public statements by him on the situation in the North Tongu District will not resolve the problem, especially as he trusts the nation’s security apparatus to clamp down on the activities of the separatists.
“When the right measures are put in place, you can, not so much as sleep and be complacent, but at least you can be steady and face what is coming. I trust the security agencies. I trust the Armed Forces.
“I trust the Police. I trust their leadership, the intelligence agencies, I know they are all working very, very hard to make sure that this matter is dealt with as quickly as possible,” he said.
The President added that “the security agencies are doing their work. They have started already, and we will see results”.
The secessionist group has managed to pull surprises on the country’s security apparatus, but, the President said those in charge of the nation’s security are working to ensure that “element of surprise” is curtailed.
“The element of surprise is there at the beginning for terrorist groups. But after some time when the system is working, you will no longer be surprised. So they have dome this one or twice. The third…fourth or fifth time will not be that easy.”