The arrested leader of Homeland Study Group Foundation, a secessionist group in the Volta Region, Mr Charles Kormi Kudjordjie, has been admitted to a bail bond of GHS250,000.
Mr Kudjordjie was arrested on Sunday, 5 May 2019 along with seven other members of the group who were all arraigned in Accra on Wednesday, 8 May 2019. Apart from Mr Kudjordjie, the others are to be kept in police custody and will reappear in court on 22 May 2019.
Meanwhile, a team of military and police personnel on Wednesday arrested about 20 more members of the secessionist group as they were about to address the media on the arrest and detention of their leader and the seven others. The group plans declaring the Volta Region an independent state on 9 May 2019. They insist the Volta Region, which they refer to as Western Togoland, is not legally part of Ghana.
A few days ago, Mr George Nyarkpo, the Secretary to the group said its members will continue, until death, to press for the declaration of the Volta Region as an independent nation. He said no amount of intimidation and death threats will prevent the group from pursuing that dream.
Mr Kudjordjie, who is believed to be 80 plus years old was arrested on Sunday, 5 May 2019 together with the seven others by a joint team of police, military and Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) personnel while they met.
A statement issued by the police on Monday, 6 May 2019 said the men were putting final preparations to their plan to declare independence for the Volta Region.
The group wants a restoration of the pre-independent Western Togoland through a total break away from the current Republic of Ghana.
Although the leading figures of the foundation were ordered by a High Court in Ho to sign a bond of good behaviour and desist from their secessionist activities in July 2017, they convened another breakaway conference in the Volta Region on Sunday, which resulted in the arrest of Mr Kudjordjie, who is over 80 years old and the other front liners.
The secessionist leader was flown to Accra and has been in the custody of state security ever since.
Speaking in an interview with Kwabena Prah Jnr. on Ghana Yensom on Accra 100.5FM on Tuesday, 7 May 2019, Mr Nyarko said: “We have taken the issue outside of the shores of Ghana. We wrote to the UN, we wrote to other bodies that have been mandated by the UN. When you go to the website now, you will hear all our stories there. So, all the international bodies are aware. We are just inviting Ghana to come to the dialogue table, we don’t hold gun or anything or we are scared. Man dies only ones.
“We are just inviting them to come and let us talk about this issue. When we get our independence, you will still be our close neighbours. We have a lot of plans underway.
“Yesterday [Monday, 6 May 2019], we held a press conference and announced that this issue has gone beyond guns and bullets. That is why we are extending hands to them to come and let’s talk. If they don’t choose the peace approach, we will meet them by their own actions.”
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