Torgbui Amenya Fiti V, Paramount Chief of Aflao Traditional Area, said the continuous closure of the border was depriving his people of basic necessities including food and water.
He said the directive which was meant to contain the spread of COVID-19 was having a toll on the poor majority at the border communities whose source of livelihood depended on daily petty trading across the borders.
Torgbui Fiti made this known when a delegation from the European Union in Ghana, comprising Pieter Smiidt Van Gelder, head of political section, and Katja Lasseur of Netherlands Embassy, called on him as part of their two-day peace campaign project in the Ketu South Municipality.
The project, partnered by a local organisation; Dei Foundation, seeks to address the concerns of the people in ensuring peace before, during and after the December elections.
The delegation also met to dialogue with other key stakeholders such as the security agents and the Electoral Commission in the Municipality.
Torgbui Fiti said the government must consider the plight of border residents, especially the people of Aflao, as deprivation of basic necessities could jeopardise the peace, saying; “peace has no value to people who cannot afford food and water and other necessities of life.”
He said, “When the COVID-19 broke out, there were directives like lockdown and closure of all borders. Now, air borders are open but for the land, no. Also, no more lockdown but those of us in border communities are still under lock.”
“All I ask is that they respect the rights and privileges of my people,” he added.
In response to the concerns, the delegation said it was important they had been briefed on those developments and promised to convey the issues to the authorities for a solution to be found in order to sustain the peace.
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