BY: Daniel Orlando| VoltaOnline
Some residents of the Volta Region have expressed their support for the Volta Region House of Chiefs’ (VRHC) call to remove inland immigration checkpoints on the Accra road.
The checkpoints, located at Asikuma, Sogakope, and a police barrier at Juapong, have been accused of harassing and humiliating travelers.
Residents have complained of tribal profiling and discrimination by immigration officers, citing instances where they were ordered to disembark buses and walk to designated points or held hostage until they proved their Ghanaian identity, often by being asked to speak Twi.
However speaking on the issue during a recent meeting of the House of Chiefs, Togbe Tepre Hodo IV, President of the VRHC, said that the checkpoints serve no meaningful purpose and should be dismantled, emphasizing that immigration checkpoints should only be located at the country’s entry and exit points, not inland.
He noted that concerns about secessionist activities, which initially justified the posts, are no longer valid since such activities have ceased.
Three members of the VRHC– Togbi Tenge Dzokoto Gligui, Togbe Nakakpo Dugbaza VII, and Togbe Drake Tsigbe IV – are reported to have personally experienced harassment at these posts and raised their grievances with the Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs earlier in 2024.
Togbe Tepre Hodo IV is therefore urging the government to remove the checkpoints immediately to allow for unhindered travel within the Volta Region. Residents, who are fed up with the harassment, are hopeful that the government will heed the call and remove the checkpoints.
