STATEMENT: Ghanaian Citizens Association in Togo

Below is the full statement issued by Ghanaian citizens living in Togo regarding NPP's claims of over 76,000 potential Togolese on Ghana's voters' register.

GHANA CITIZENS ASSOCIATION –TOGO

Invited Guests
Members of the Press
Ladies and Gentlemen

Bonjour tout le monde, I would like to first and foremost thank you all for taking time of you busy schedules to be present here. We are here to clear the allegations made by our Vice Presidential hopeful for Ghana on the ticket of the NPP, Dr. Bawumia on 18th of August 2015 referring to us Ghanaians residents in Togo as Togolese.

We wish to call on the press, our good brothers and sisters of Togo, Our home country Ghana, the good people of Africa, and the whole world that we agree with Dr. Bawumia that a valid and credible voters’ register is essential for free and fair elections but in a case where one forged a register of an independent institution (INEC) of a different country (TOGO) to fraudulently aide his ambition can be referred to as an international criminal minded Politician than the so-called Togolese found on our Ghanaian voter register.

According to Togo’s independent National Electoral Commission headed by the Executive Secretary, Professor Kpatcha Takonda Kossi, it was impossible for anyone to lay his/her hand on Togo’s Voter’s Register since the document was a sovereign Legal document kept firmly under guard. 

Professor Kpatcha also denied categorically that anyone from Ghana had obtained Togo’s voters Register from the country’s INEC. 

Meaning not even the political parties in Togo have access to their register. Where then did Dr. Bawumia get the Togo Voters’ Register? We are therefore challenging Dr. Bawumia to present the Register which he used in identifying the 75,193 POTENTIAL matches.

The usage of POTENTIAL matches is a clear indication that the man is playing with our future because what he sought to say was that the 75,193 people’s identity could match in the future. So I asked, why should politicians be toiling with our lives? How will our people be dragging Togolese into Ghana politics and thereby endangering our lives? 

We are tenants with our neighbours and all you could do is to provoke them into sacking us? Most of us here are from the ten regions of Ghana; Traders have shops in Asigame, Amoutive, Decon and Be, Spare parts dealers at Akodessewa, Fishersfolks settle at Kwadjoviakope – Kotoku Kodji, Katanga fishing harbour, Gbetsogbe, Baguida , Avepozo, Kpogan, Agbodrafo, Kpeme, Aneho and hillakondzi down to Cotonou and Artisans (shoe shines) can be found in almost every community in Togo.

In all we cannot blame only politicians but those politicians in Immigration uniforms collecting ID cards from innocent citizens for their selfish agenda to perceive us as Togolese because some of us are not able to speak English.

Now npp is telling us that our brothers and sister who are working in Nigeria and can speak Yurouba and Igbo are Nigerians or Nigerians who have shops at Makola and circle are Ghanaians because they are in Ghana and can speak our local dialect?

Togolese, in general appear quite offended at the very idea that they have nothing better to do to improve their country than to go and vote in Ghana.

We will advise the NDC party to stop being on the defensive because we are tired of reasons they are also giving. We don’t care about whatever dual citizenship they are talking about. Our Ghanaian constitution is clear on who a citizen is and that is having one of your parents as a Ghanaian.

Yesterday for instance Nana Akuffo Addo was in Volta region claiming he is not targeting Volta region people but Foreigners. I want to ask Nana Akuffo Addo how he was able to determine foreigners on Ghana’s register and not Ghanaians voting in Togo rather.
The NPP should be careful with their pronouncement for us to enjoy the peaceful co-existence between Ghana and Togo.

We are hereby calling on Dr. Bawumia and the NPP to do the honourable thing and apologize to Togo INEC, People of Togo and Ghanaians residents in Togo in the shortest possible time.

God bless President Faure and the people of Togo

God bless Ghana

Thank you

Joseph Hammond.
(Leader )