‘RE-CONSTITUTE BORDER DEMARCATION C’SSION’

Story: Victor Kwawukume, Ho

The Commanding Officer of the 66^th Artillery Regiment in Ho, Lieutenant Colonel Emmanuel Kotia has called on government to as a matter of urgency, re-constitute the Ghana/Togo Re-demarcation Commission to find a lasting solution to a prolonged land dispute between farmers at Ashanti-Kpoeta in the Ho Municipality and their counterparts in Togo that threatens to mar the cordial relations between the two countries.

Briefing the Minister of Defence, Mr. Albert Kan Dapaah here yesterday on the security flashpoints in the region, Lt. Col. Kotia stressed that the uneasy calm that was currently prevailing if not checked by the re-constitution of the commission could result in a volatile situation.

“There is the crucial need to revamp security at the boundary to forestall any unforeseen circumstances between Ghana and Togo”, he cautioned.

The briefing formed part of the Defence Minister’s one day visit to inspect government and self-help projects of the regiment and also to interact with the officers and men of the regiment as well as civilian staff.

He was accompanied by the General Officer Commanding the Southern Command, Brigadier General Emmanuel Okyere and other heads of the army units in the Ghana Armed Forces.

Projects that he inspected included a ¢7.5 billion four-unit 16 flats housing project, Social Security and National Insurance Trust housing project and other self-help income generating projects.

He also commissioned a ¢1 billion water reservoir containing 66,000 gallons of water.

Lt. Col. Kotia also mentioned the Anlo Chieftaincy problem as one other major security concern but added that the military were on the alert to avert any situation that could prove disastrous adding that “this week is a test case for security in the Anlo traditional area”.

He said in all, there were about ten security flashpoints in the region but lauded the people of Alavanyo and Nkonya for the bold steps they had taken to address their decades old feud.

He appealed to the Military High Command to provide vehicles for towing sophisticated weapons to ensure that combat readiness and efficiency on the part of the regiment was ensured towards effective protection of the eastern corridor of the country.

Mr. Kan Dapaah urged the regiment to maintain their level-headedness and discipline which had helped in controlling the various flashpoints in the region.

He also commended their efforts at improving civil/military relations and moves to change the wrong perceptions that the civilian population had about the military.

“You should sustain the proud accomplishment of maintaining security at the eastern corridor of the nation to protect the peace, unity, security and the harmony prevailing within the borders of the country”, he emphasised.

Mr. Kan Dapaah had earlier paid a courtesy call on the Volta Regional Minister who commended the cordial relations between the military and the Co-ordinating Council and added that the V.R.C.C. was ready to provide the needed support to ensure that they were able to perform their statutory functions effectively and efficiently.