The Volta Regional branch of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has joined calls on the government to open the border between Ghana and Togo.
They argue that people are losing their livelihood and risk losing their lives if their bread and butter issues are not addressed.
“Starvation will kill people more than COVID-19 if the Ghana-Togo border is not opened,” Volta Regional Communications Officer of the NDC, Kafui Agbleze, said in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme.
Hundreds of residents in the Volta Region on Friday, August 27, 2021, hit the streets to protest the continuous closure of the border between Ghana and Togo.
Clad in red and black attire and hoisting placards on the street, the aggrieved residents chanted war songs with the hopes that government heeds their call.
The closure of the border in March 2020 is part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.
But 17 months after the closure, the indigenes in the Ketu South Municipality say the reopening is long overdue, as it affects their livelihoods.
In support, the NDC man said the continuous closure of the border is not only affecting indigenes but the country as a whole.
“Aflao border is the highest revenue site for the country so the country is also losing,” Mr Agbleze stated.
He took a swipe at the Akufo-Addo government for opening the airport and leaving the land borders.
“A lot of people come into the country through the airports than land borders so a government which is sensitive to the people will put up testing centres within our borders,” he suggested.
The NDC Volta region communications officer revealed that, people are already using unapproved routes into the country just to survive.
“People are already using the unapproved routes to enter the country so we should open the official border and let them follow the protocols,” he stated.
Mr Agbleze charged the government to reconsider the pleas of the residents at Aflao and open the border.