Western Togoland issues: PLC reacts to John Mahama’s Comments

The Peoples Liberation Council (PLC) of Western Togoland has taken a swipe at former president John Dramani Mahama after he called out the activities of some groups pressing for the ‘restoration of the rights and liberties of the people of Western Togoland’ during an interview with Woezor TV and TV XYZ which has gone viral on the various social media platforms.

In the interview, the former president was seen and heard condemning Council saying that there is nothing like Western Togoland and that those calling for secession or independence from Ghana should be decisively dealt with. He said the current NPP government is being lackadaisical with the issue as the territorial boundary of Ghana is a matter of sovereignty and that “no part of Ghana should be ceded to anybody.”

The PLC in a press statement released on Thursday September 1, 2022, described the former president’s comments as ‘irresponsible’ of a statesman who has ever occupied the highest office in the republic of Ghana. It stated that the former president was aware of the fact that there was and still is a territory known as Western Togoland or British Togoland long before the plebiscite and that he as a Gonja man was very much aware of the fact that his kingsmen from Gonja land which forms part of the Western Togoland took part in the plebiscite and indeed voted for the a Union between the Republic of Ghana and an independent Western Togoland, but were short-changed as was evident in the aftermath of the plebiscite.

The release further accused the former president of being either economical with the truth or he is just making those comments for political reasons.

Read full statement below:

Subject: Press Release

Date: 31/08/2022 8:08 am

From: Peoples Liberation Council of Western Togoland <[email protected]>

To All Media Houses.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press,

STATEMENT BY PLC WESTERN TOGOLAND ON A COMMENT BY FORMER PRESIDENT JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA ABOUT WESTERN TOGOLANDERS

The attention of the People’s Liberation Council (PLC) Western Togoland has been drawn to a video (https://youtu.be/Z29BKU0ON6c)  circulating on the various social media platforms, a copy of which is available to the PLC in which former president John Mahama is  seen and heard passing a comments during a live interview on both Woezor and XYZ TVs to the effect that the concerns of the people of Western Togoland were condemnable and those fighting for the rights and liberties of the people were engaging in an illegality, and that there was and there is nothing like Western Togoland, for which the People’s Liberation Council (PLC) of Western Togoland wish to correct the erroneous assertion of Mr Mahama as follows:

1• We believe that the former president having once occupied the highest office of the republic of Ghana, was very much aware of the legitimate concerns of the people of Western Togoland and as such cannot put his hands on his chest to deny knowledge of the legitimate existence of an independent territory aside of the Gold Coast known as Western Togoland or British Togoland long before the plebiscite of 9th May 1956

2• The former president himself a Gonja man is aware of the fact that his kingsmen from Gonja land which forms part of Western Togoland territory took part in the plebiscite and indeed voted for the UNION of an independent Western Togoland with Ghana but were short-changed as was then evident in the aftermath of the plebiscite.

3• The former president’s assertion that there is nothing like Western Togoland and that Ghana’s territorial integrity is a sovereign matter is not being contested by the PLC but rather his comments that no part of Ghana should be ceded to any people is what the PLC is taking a strong exception to. We wish to re-iterate that the people of Western Togoland are not asking for the ceding of any part of Ghana to them nor are we seeking for independence from the republic of Ghana because Western Togoland has never been a colony of any European nation to warrant any form of independence. What we are asking for is the fixing of the UNION between the republic of Ghana and an independent Western Togoland as enshrined in the UN convention leading to the infamous plebiscite. We at the People’s Liberation Council want to believe that it’s either the former president is being charitable with the truth or he is playing the ostrich just for political expediency.

4• We also want to let the former president know that as a true Gonja man he should be the one supporting his kingsmen on our quest to impress upon the government of Ghana to respect the rights and liberties of the people of Western Togoland by bringing into fruition the UNION between the republic of Ghana and an independent Western Togoland instead of the disparaging and unsavoury remarks he was captured making in the interview.

Long live Western Togoland, Long live Ghana, Long live Ghana-Western Togoland UNION.

((Facebook: WESTERN TOGOLAND AND GHANA-UNION-MOVEMENT))

www.plcwtl.org

By Efo Kojo Mensavi