The group addressing the media
A group calling itself ‘Volta Region Cross-Border Traders’ association has threatened to use unapproved routes to deny government some revenue if nothing is done to curb the constant harassment and extortion by some agents of the government.
According to the group, although they follow all lawful processes to transact business along the Ghana-Togo border, they continually suffer harassment and extortion.
They noted that this has caused some people, particularly those who have been finding it hard to make ends meet, to resort to unapproved routes, thus denying government of the needed revenue to undertake developmental projects in the country.
During a meeting to present a petition to the Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa, on Friday, July 27, 2018, in Ho, the chairman of the group, Mr. Prosper Tagborlo, called for investigations into the activities of a group of extortionists including one Maxwell Lugudor.
According to them, Maxwell had justified his activities with the claim that he operates under the instructions and supervision of the national security coordinator.
He claims Mr. Lugudor uses threats to extort huge sums of money from members of the group.
“Although our members pay more than 90 per cent duties on their goods, the said Maxwell Lugudor has been extorting money from them under the threat of arresting them and confiscating their goods if they fail to pay him. He takes various sums of money sometimes GH¢4,000 and other times GH¢10,000.”
The group is therefore calling on government to stop these activities else they will have no option than to join the others in using the various unapproved roads which consequently will deny government of revenue.
The regional minister in receiving the petition promised to investigate the allegations for appropriate measures to be taken.
He said these activities undermine free movement of goods and persons within the ECOWAS sub-region and must not be allowed to continue.
He therefore advised members of the group to insist on being shown identity cards of such persons who claim to be national security operatives and they must alert the police if they fail to do so.