U.S.A and Canada branch
Of People’s Liberation Council (PLC)
Of Western Togoland.
United Nations Headquarters,
New York, NY.
November 20th 2019.
Your Excellency,
The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres.
HELP STOP GHANA’S ILLEGAL OIL EXPLORATION IN KETA BASIN OF WESTERN TOGOLAND.
We are writing to your Excellency to register the grave concerns of the people of Western Togoland with regard to recent developments in the Volta region of Western Togoland.
On 29th of October 2019, the Concerned Citizens of Volta Region, a people’s advocacy group in Western Togoland, released a press statement that revealed a proposed oil exploration in the Keta Basin of Western Togoland by the government of Ghana that has blindsided the vast majority of the local population.
The Ghana government and Swiss African Company have joined forces to exploit mineral resources at the expense of the native population. According to the press release which includes a valid document exhibited by Concerned Citizens of Volta Region, the revenue to be generated from the venture shall be shared as follows:
- Swiss African Company Limited 83%,
- Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC) 12%
- Pet Volta Investments Limited 5%.
In line with the above stated, the Chairman of the People’s Liberation Council (PLC) of Western Togoland based in Netherlands has added his voice. According to the Chairman, Mr. Ben Kossi Adeli, “exploration of land and mineral resources of Western Togoland by Ghana at this time, when attempts are ongoing to resolve the issue of Ghana’s illegal occupation of Western Togoland and to regularize the informal union between Ghana and Western Togoland, is a serious indication of Ghana’s blatant disregard for the hand of peace being extended to her by the people of Western Togoland.” In his tweeted message to President Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo Addo of the Republic of Ghana, Mr. Adeli has recounted the current situation in the Southern Cameroon as a pointer to the direction the government of Ghana is leading the people who, according to the PLC Chairman, should rather be the best of neighbors in the sub-region. He cautioned the President that “any deal with anybody to exploit any of Western Togoland’s mineral resources in the absence of a constitutionally elected government of the people of Western Togoland is a violation of human rights, a threat to world peace and a disrespect towards the UN of which Ghana and Western Togoland are jointly a member by the virtue of their informal union after the British Togoland plebiscite of 1956.”
It is against this backdrop that we, the members of U.S.A and Canada branch of People’s Liberation Council (PLC) of Western Togoland, wish to add our voice and remind the United Nations of what happened to Ogoni people in Ogoniland (Nigeria), when Shell Company took over the Niger Delta in similar oil exploration with the terrible consequences for the environment and the population. Ghana is not of any better standing and behavior than Nigeria and will not do anything different in similar situations.
Since 6th March 1957, when Ghana illegally annexed Western Togoland, it has failed to provide good leadership, development and security to the good people of Western Togoland. Today as we speak, the roads in Western Togoland are death traps, healthcare delivery, Sanitation, portable drinking water, education system remain inadequate.
We want also to emphasis that until the non-ratified union between Ghana and Western Togoland is regularized, Ghana has no right to touch any mineral resource in Western Togoland.
We also wish to reiterate here that due to the informal nature of the union between Ghana and Western Togoland, both parties are jointly members of the United Nations, and as a matter of urgency, we would expect the United Nations to intervene and help avoid the calamity that is about to befall the sub-region, bearing in mind that Ghana’s aggressive action in Western Togoland involves international borders. Per the United Nations Charter, UN is allow to exercise its powers and influence in conflicts across international borders.
While we expect UN to employ its conflict resolution mechanism in this matter, it is our hope that UN at this juncture will realize the need to revisit its resolution1044 (X) of December 1956 to finish the mandate given to Britain by regularizing the union between Ghana and Western Togoland.
Thank you.
Dully Signed:
Seth Mifetu
(Coordinator)
Mr. Salomon Agbenya
(Secretary)
cc
- UN Security Council
- UNSpecial Committee on Decolonization
- UN member States
- New York State Senator, Charles George Schumer
- Voice of America
- Media houses
Attached, please find the press release by Concerned Citizens of Volta Region and Keta Basin petroleum agreement.
