“A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” This is an often quoted adage that is used to instil perseverance in those pursuing a cause seen by many as virtually impossible. Indeed, impossible, is what the average person sees as the journey towards Western Togoland’s liberation from its over 67 years of forced yoke to Gold Coast/Ghana.
The apparent impossible is grounded in its armed robber’s use of brute force to deal with its freedom fighters, who have all the years after the 1957 brutal massacre by the joint colonial forces, never engaged in an armed struggle to achieve their goal. Yet its “armed robber Ghana” had always taken advantage of its military superiority over them.
But that is about to change and change quickly. The groups in exile have successfully and clandestinely allied with some powerful forces to change their history with Ghana forever. And it is going to be coming at Ghana on several fronts at once. It is destined to be merciless, with all the 67 years of frustration and anger directed at all enemy targets. It could be so swift and powerful that the effects could be remembered for generations to come, and efforts to maintain cordial relations thereafter as sovereign neighbors will be herculean.
Can this be avoided? Oh yes, but only with the sobriety of leadership and statesmanship. Leadership that puts citizens’ well-being above all else. Statesmanship that is committed to the peaceful resolution of historical injustices. Can that be found in the current crop of Ghanaian leaders? This writer believes it can, with unwavering commitment and support from the chiefs across the Western Togoland traditional areas, as well as churches and other key opinion leaders. You see, almost all the chiefs know their history, some being witnesses of the brute force and intimidations directed at them and their subjects from Nkrumah through Acheampong to the Akufo-Addo eras. But world history concerning legitimate freedom fighters has evolved largely in their favour. Who knew then that the endless decades of the ANC freedom struggle in South Africa would come to an end? Even the current perennial unjust treatment of the Palestinians will come to an end, despite the senselessly deliberate blood sheddings and huge losses of innocent human lives including those of children. Not to mention the infrastructural annihilations and the consequent economic strangulation and human sufferings.
Common sense will tell us that true history cannot be distorted forever. The energy it takes to suppress it is very costly. So when the historically oppressed resolutely fail to surrender, non-violent negotiations are the common logic. It saves human lives and infrastructure and avoids economic destitution. Mind you the weapons of violence know no bloodlines, and continuously enrich their producers and supplies. So why wait for these destructions to get to the round table?
Some political observers thought Akufo-Addo’s regime with the poorest human rights record and blatant disregard for law and order as well as international pressures, is the least likely to sit at round table discussions to permanently resolve the Western Togoland dilemma of Ghana. But politicians leave their marks by being selectively astute. And Ghanaians in particular, and the world at large, will be taken unawares by Akufo-Addo and his team in this regard. Ghana has been warned severally by some Western Togoland Freedom Fighters to peacefully resolve the Western Togoland separation issue peaceful than the brute force and intimidations, or face the consequences of catastrophic violence. It is clear the Freedom Fighters prefer and still have hope for peaceful resoluton, hence their warnings. Unlike Hamas who lost all hope for peaceful settlement of their issue, hence the surprised and successful violent attack on one of the most powerful world military powers. I for one will not believe Ghanaians under Akufo-Addo will want to ignore this powerful timely lesson.
However, some NDC activists seem to notice the waves of change, particularly through the virtual negligence of response to the Akossombo spillage flooding disaster by the Akufo-Addo regime. At my desk are confidential reports of their efforts to bribe some key paramount chiefs to distance themselves from the Western Togoland agenda. Investigations are going on regarding these. But it seems clear that with the frustrations and anger waiting to be unleashed, any traditional authority, together with politicians that will stand in the way can only witness WESTERN TOGOLAND FREEDOM in the company of their late ancestors.
So a word to the wise: IF YOU CANNOT BEAT THEM, JOIN THEM.
NOTE: My desk gave warnings about events that would unfold prior to, during and after the 2020 elections in Ghana. They were ignored but happend exactly as predicted. In 2020/2021 it gave warmings to the AU and ECOWAS about political turmoils in Africa that would result from ignoring political and economic abuses in African states, especially within ECOWAS. They were similarly ignored. The rest is history. And more will unfold, until African nations achieve their FULL independence under one central governance, freed from its kakistocratic and kleptomaniac leaders collaborating with its external worst imperialist enemies for joint selfish interests.
Bobby Cqwequ,
Freelance Journalist and African in the Diaspora