A mansion springing up on the ‘no man’s land’
DAILY GUIDE’s investigation has confirmed claims by residents, officials and security agencies at Aflao in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta Region that the country is sitting on time bomb as far as management of the Ghana-Togo border is concerned.
Land that constitutes the buffer zone on the Ghana side of the Ghana-Togo boundary, has been invaded by foreigners who are haphazardly building and making a living there.
These foreigners who are mostly rich have put up buildings, ranging from a single room apartment, stores, warehouses, two bed-room apartments to even mansions, mosques and a big market, more beautiful and equipped than the Aflao main market.
A City On Its Own
The settlers who are mainly foreigners are said to hail from neighbouring Togo, Benin, Niger, Mali, Chad, Guinea, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, among others.
Their buildings are designed similar to the architecture in Togo, with most of them (buildings), especially those close to the borderline, facing Togo while.
The CFA Franc is the most accepted currency for exchange of goods and services there. Restaurants, bars, shops and even schools have French inscriptions as majority of them speak French, English, Ewe and Hausa.
Although they have access to electricity due to their proximity to the national grid that feeds the Diamond Cement Factory, majority are connected illegally.
Security Threat
As far as the Sector Commander of Aflao, Frank Ashong and the Municipal Police Commander, Fred Lumor, are concerned, the area poses a very high security threat as there is little or no government control in the area.
Mr Ashong fears that the many stores and warehouses there will be used as a medium to avoid duties and also facilitate smuggling on a very large scale.
DAILY GUIDE’s tour of the area in the evening revealed that a large number of the people work in neighbouring Togo and return in the evening to sleep in Ghana. This includes military and other security officers of the Republic of Togo. They return to Ghana with their weapons in the evening and leave for Togo with the same weapons in the morning.
From Fred Duodu, Aflao (k.duodu@yahoo.com)