Here’s To You, Seth Mifetu: The Unrelenting Efforts of These Separatists

It is very obvious that one developmental policy of this government which is making some people go nuts and making them have nightmarish conditions day and night is about the creation of new regions. That the NPP government could carry out its campaign promises was first doubted by some opposition elements. So when the roadmap of one of the promises was rolled out it sent shivers into the spines of these anti-government citizens in the opposition. And they are unrelenting in their efforts to rubbish the project and put doubts in the minds of people, about its good intent.

This project is the splitting of some regions notably the Western, Brong Ahafo, Northern and Volta regions. Inasmuch as the indigenes of the first three regions are happy about that with the North pleading that the region should be split into three, instead of only two, in the Volta region the reaction is mixed. While the tribes in the north of the region which are indigenously non-Ewe are above the moon with excitement, some Ewes, especially those in the center of the region, the Wedome of North Ewe, have been trying to either make the new region have its capital in one of their Ewe towns or have the idea discontinued. Others have even vowed bloodshed and threatened government to dare split that region.

The separatists have even declared that the region is not part of Ghana so government should lay its hands off it. They have a dream, a dream of a certain Western Togoland, and hope that one day they will have that promise land. So they continue to demonstrate on the streets calling for the implementation of a non-existent UN mandate, while others continue to write to misinform gullible Ghanaians.

One such prolific writer is a blogger who gave his name as Seth Mifetu; and I chose to educate him on facts to enrich his mind.

The Untold Story of Volta Region (ref: Modern Ghana dated June 14, 2018):Seth Mifetu wrote lengthily about why regions should not be split but in the end he wrote nothing convincing except to confirm the need to split the Volta region to satisfy the Ewes long held wish and desire to form one state.

And meanwhile, he unknowingly further exposed the fear entertained by the NDC that splitting the Volta region will result in electoral losses to the party in a region it always claims to be its bona fide property, its stronghold, its world bank, its God given inheritance.

He tried to blur memories of Ghanaians about the so-called most important development plan ever proposed by any government, the Kwame Nkrumah Seven Year Development Plan. What he craftily decided not to tell Ghanaians is that this development plan was condemned by not less a person than the Ewe, K.A. Gbedemah who was finance minister for Nkrumah. Gbedemah’s criticism of this plan, which he tore apart because he found that it was a tool to send Ghana deeper into poverty and economic depression, earned him a quick exit from government and also out of Ghana to save his life.

Anyway, this is just by the way. Mifetu went on to refer to certain prominent Ewe chiefs and opinion leaders who kept crying out for a united Eweland. According to him: Dega Kwadzo Dei X, chief of Peki (10^th December 1940) stated in a petition that “Nothing will give me more pleasure than to see a United Ewe people after the war.” An Ewe Newletter No. 9 of January 1946 carried a resolution on Eweland, calling for the removal of frontiers which indiscriminately cut across Eweland.

In all these are unfounded allegations that Ewes were severely mistreated after independence, Seth Mifetu’s call is for the Volta region to remain intact.

One is forced to believe here, that Seth Mifetu does not know the Volta region and the people who are the indigenes, there. Because how could he say speak as if to say that all the indigenes of that region are Ewes? Now if he is saying that the desire of all Ewes is to have a united Eweland, then what does he think the Nana Addo Administration will achieve after the demarcation? The Ewes are going to be separated from the others and they are going to have their stand-alone region; the second region in Ghana after Ashanti to have all its indigenes belonging to one tribe.

Did President Akufo-Addo Seek Advice From The Western Togolanders? (Ref: Modern Ghana dated April 21, 2017): When H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, implemented a laudable project of meeting with past presidents of our republic to share thoughts on how best to govern this country, Seth Mifetu took issue with that, and mocked the president for now yielding to listen to and take advice from a Western Togolander.

He referred to ex-president J.J. Rawlings as a Western Togolander and wondered why the NPP in 1992, under Prof. Adu Boahen refused to accept Rawlings as a president because he is a Western Togolander (Ewe) who as a stranger did not deserve to lead Ghana. He subscribed to this belief by the song the pro NPP youth sang, “Ye gye yen mann,” to wit, “we are taking our country back.”

Firstly, Rawlings was born of an Anlo, and Anlos were never part of British Togoland and cannot be part of this Western Togoland idea, so he cannot be a Western Togolander.

Secondly about Rawlings’ nationality, even though he is a Ghanaian as our laws say, by the same Ewe culture which Seth Mifetu want Ghanaians to believe in and support, Ewes come from their father’s side. So if one’s mother is an Agave and father a Tongu he or she is a Tongu. So in the case of Rawlings, his father is a Scottish gentleman and mother from Anlo, this makes him a Scot by the Ewe tradition and culture standards.

However in all our Ghanaian communities even with the culture clearly identifying where a member belongs, either to the father or to the mother, every child born is a full member of the families of both parents.

Thirdly, that NPP song was just a political song which was not aimed at any ethnocentric intentions, but it was to say that Rawlings messed up the country and so they want it back. If one is given a responsibility and he fails to live up to expectation, he is removed and replaced. Having said this why did Seth Mifetu mischievously avoided telling us that an Nkrumaist like him, actually took Rawlings to court to challenge his nationality?

John Bilson an astute Nkrumaist on Thursday October 8, 1992 sued Rawlings in court over his nationality. He did not believe that Rawlings is a Ghanaian.

While at it, Seth Mifetu, deliberately failed to inform us about Rawlings’ claims, way back in 2008, that Nana Addo was a drug baron and addict and advised Ghanaians to stay clear off him. Today he has warmed his way into Nana Addo’s company and feel more comfortable with the current president than with his own party. Can one also say that Rawlings is deep into cocaine and still erroneously believe Nana Addo is into that drug, so he has to make friends with him to get some coke for free?

All These Desperate Separatists: It is very obvious from the writings of Seth Mifetu that he as so desperate as all the other separatists and secessionists that they need to use anything at all to stall the demarcation of the Volta region. In February/March of 1957, in order to stop the independence, they spilt blood by killing and maiming innocent people including some police personnel just to halt that process which would eventually make British Togoland part of Ghana.

They must know that the UN Mandate of British Togoland becoming part of Ghana on March 6, 1957 is irrevocable. Trans Volta Togoland belongs to and it is fully and wholly part of Ghana. Any person or group of persons, who feel uncomfortable about this and do not want to be called Ghanaians and want to leave, can safely walk away but they should leave the land behind because it belongs to Ghana. We have full blooded Ghanaians who have denounced their citizenship and naturalized to become other nationals. They went without any piece of the land of their birth, so the separatists and secessionists can go if they so please, but not with any piece of Ghana land.

Hon. Daniel Dugan