NACSA condemns group’s action to secede from Ghana
The National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA) has condemned actions by groups seeking to secede from Ghana.
The Commission says the medium with which the group is channeling their grievances is not right and should have rather adopted a dialogue mechanism.
In a statement signed by the Board Chairman of NACSA, Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong-Manso, it says the violent acts being exhibited by the group would not yield any public sympathy for them but rather shows how insensitive they are to humans.
Below is the full release
PRESS RELEASE
To All Media Houses
VIOLENT ACTS OF SECESSIONIST GROUPS CONDEMNABLE
The National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons condemns in no uncertain terms the recent activities of some secessionist groups in the Western Togoland issue.
The groups, which purport to be fighting for the independence of Western Togoland, could have resorted to the use of proper channels to have their issues or grievances addressed if justified rather than resorting to chaos and creating tension and panic in the Volta Region.
The blocking of roads, attack on a Police station and Officers, seizing of Police weapons, burning of properties among other unlawful acts by the Secessionist Groups do not demonstrate any good intentions that should attract any public sympathy nor yield any positive results in their quest for their demands. Such violent acts only depict insensitivity to the national course and total disregard for human lives and properties.
Holding the country’s Security Agencies to ransom and subjecting state institutions to ridicule by disarming and assaulting a District Police Commander are not actions that must be encouraged. The unfortunate activities of the Secessionist Groups only go to show how aggressive they are in their demands without any considerations for the wellbeing of the country and their fellow human beings. The activities of these groups are very alarming and heart breaking because for over half a century now, we have been living together as one people and a nation with one destiny.
The country, as we all know, heads to the polls in December 2020 and it is paramount that we all concern ourselves with our safety and security. The last thing we need as a people with one destiny is to create fear and panic. We do not have to arm ourselves as individuals or groups, kill and maim one another, destroy properties and engage in other unlawful activities just because of some grievances, whether or not those grievances are justified. As Ghanaians and as one people, we need to learn to live in harmony, sit around the table to dialogue on our concerns and not use guns or resort to violence means in settling any differences. A country that settles her misunderstandings with violence and guns does not have any future and cannot leave any hope for her children and generations yet unborn.
We, therefore, call on our Security Agencies and the authorities to expedite action in fashioning out a lasting solution to this unfortunate situation before it is too late. We believe that the Security Agencies would continue to perform their duties with the requisite professionalism and ensure high alertness in keeping the Volta Region and its citizens safe.
We also urge the Secessionist Groups to use all lawful avenues available in seeking redress to whatever grievances they might have for a win / win situation. This is because resorting to violence makes all of us losers. In fact, armed violence or any form of violence would rather worsen the situation than advance their course. People including innocent lives must not be lost to prove any point to anybody in making demands that we so much believe in.
Meanwhile, the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons commends the Security Agencies following the intelligence work which led to the discovery of the Police weapons taken from the Aveyime Police Station by the Secessionist Group.
The Commission also commends the media for their relatively fair and objective reportage while encouraging them to continue to exercise circumspection in reporting these matters of such security magnitude.
As a Commission that concerns itself with issues bothering on small arms and light weapons including gun violence, we wish to reiterate that armed violence does not settle any conflict; it is peaceful dialogue together with level headedness and patience that does. Let us all try to exercise restraint no matter our grievances, seek the collective good of all and help advance Ghana’s socio-economic development.
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REV. PROF. PAUL FRIMPONG-MANSO
BOARD CHAIRMAN
