Aflao Paramount Chief Challenges Interior Minister Over Claims of Over 100 Illegal Border Routes in Volta Region
The Paramount Chief of the Aflao Traditional Area and President of the Aflao Traditional Council, Togbui Adzonugaga Amenya Fiti V, has strongly contested recent claims by Interior Minister Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka that there are more than 100 illegal entry routes in the Volta Region.
In a strongly worded statement, Togbui Amenya Fiti described the minister’s comments as troubling and disappointing, arguing that they do not reflect the historical, geographical, and socio-economic realities of communities living along Ghana’s eastern border with Togo.
The traditional ruler cautioned that labelling these routes as purely illegal risks unfairly stigmatising border communities that have used them for generations for legitimate social, cultural, and economic activities.
He recalled that similar allegations were made against chiefs and residents of the Volta Region under previous administrations, with traditional leaders accused of aiding the movement of foreigners for political gain. Those claims, he noted, were never substantiated but created a damaging perception of border communities.
Togbui Amenya Fiti pointed out that many of the so-called illegal routes existed long before the modern borders between Ghana and Togo were drawn by colonial authorities. These paths, he explained, traditionally linked families, farms, markets, shrines, and communities that were divided by artificial boundaries.
“The people of Aflao and other border communities did not create these borders,” he stressed.
He highlighted that thousands of residents depend on cross-border trade, farming, and transportation for their daily livelihoods, while agricultural produce from these areas significantly supports food supplies in major cities including Accra.
The Paramount Chief also raised concerns about challenges at official border posts, including alleged harassment, extortion, and intimidation, which he said may push travellers to use unofficial routes. He further noted rising security issues such as armed robbery and violent crimes in the area, which create opportunities for criminal elements to exploit the situation.
Instead of blaming border communities, Togbui Amenya Fiti called on the government to strengthen security infrastructure, enhance intelligence gathering, increase professional border patrols, recruit more personnel, and tackle corruption within the border management system.
He urged authorities to treat border residents as partners in national security rather than suspects, emphasising that chiefs and local leaders possess valuable knowledge that can aid effective border management and crime prevention.
Togbui Amenya Fiti concluded by appealing to the government to address the historical, economic, and security realities of border communities, describing them as Ghana’s first point of contact with neighbouring countries and longstanding custodians of peace, trade, and cultural integration.
The Aflao Paramount Chief’s intervention highlights ongoing tensions and calls for a more collaborative approach to managing Ghana’s borders.
