The Aflao Traditional Council is asking government to instruct security personnel deployed to the borders and checkpoints in Aflao to immediately quit the harsh treatment meted out to its indigenes.
According to the council, the military personnel deployed to some parts of the Ketu South Municipality, specifically the checkpoints and borders have begun harassing and brutalizing citizens in the towns.
The military personnel, the council stated, have also mounted and erected tents “all over the rural settlements specifically Akato to Wudoaba where tents were erected in market squares (against civil norms) inhibiting people from performing their daily activities”.
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Government on June 18th, 2020, deployed some personnel from the Ghana Armed Forces, Police Service, Immigration and National Security including Aflao to commence exercise, ‘Eagles Claws 2020’ to secure the border towns in Ghana.
“The presence of the troops started causing fear and panic amongst the inhabitants when they embarked on house to house searches and brutalization of motor bikers within the towns. Additionally, the constant harassment of citizens occupying the borderlands is having detrimental effect on agricultural produce being brought to the markets.”
The council in a statement signed by the Paramount Chief of Aflao Traditional Area and President of the Council, Torgbui Amenya Fiti V, said it will not remain silent while its citizens, regardless of the situation they find themselves in, face brutality by security personnel.
According to Member of Parliament for Adansi-Asokwa, K.T. Hammond, the deployment of the military men in the region is to regulate multiple registrations and a possible over voting in the December 2020 elections and the compilation of the new voters’ registration exercise.
His comments have drawn a wide outcry from the public as some have expressed utter disappointment at the seeming ethnocentric comments against the people of the Volta Region. Some indigenes of the Ketu South Municipality as well as the National Democratic Congress (NDC), former presidents, J. J Rawlings and John Mahama have raised concerns over the heavy security in the vicinity.
But the chiefs believe their silence in the matter should not be taken for granted and even concluded as they being cowards.
They are therefore calling on the government to call to order the military personnel brutalizing the civilian population as well as withdraw the obstacles placed in the daily activities of the Aflao people.
“The Government of Ghana cannot allow its troops to brutalize its own citizens without recourse to justice whilst hypocritically lamenting George Floyds’ passing at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis (USA), it added.
The Aflao Traditional Council believes their rights should be protected and not infringed upon.
Victoria Enyonam Adonu/ATLFMNEWS
