The President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, Togbe Tepre Hodo IV, has made a passionate call for urgent action to address worsening social and administrative issues in the region — including drug abuse among the youth, the controversial presence of inland immigration posts, and weak collaboration between regional chiefs and Members of Parliament from the Volta Region.
Speaking at a general meeting of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs in Ho, Togbe Hodo did not mince words in expressing alarm at the increasing cultivation and misuse of marijuana in the region. He said the Narcotics Control Commission Act, which permits the controlled cultivation of a specific species of cannabis for medicinal use, is being misinterpreted and abused.
“This whole concept has been taken as a license to grow anything,” Togbe Hodo stated. “People are cultivating all kinds of species, primarily for recreational purposes. I hear even schoolchildren now abandon classrooms to go work on these farms. This is disturbing.”
He also warned of a dangerous rise in drug abuse, singling out a substance he referred to as “Red”, which allegedly renders users unconscious while standing.
“How can you take a drug and sleep while standing? If we continue on this trajectory, I fear that in a few years, we may not have any young people worth calling men or women. This crisis is becoming endemic,” he cautioned.
“Enough of the Humiliation”: Togbe Hodo Demands End to Inland Immigration Posts
Togbe Tepre Hodo IV also turned his attention to inland immigration checkpoints, particularly those around Aflao and Asikuma, describing them as humiliating and unjustifiable. He condemned the practice where passengers are forced to disembark from vehicles and walk long distances to undergo immigration checks within their own country.
“This does not happen anywhere else. We are not in a police state. If immigration officers are doing their jobs at the proper entry points, there should be no need for these inland posts. It is dehumanizing.”
He cited a recent viral video in which a regional resident refused to comply at a checkpoint, declaring, “I am a Ghanaian; why should I get down?” — a reaction Togbe described as both understandable and indicative of growing public frustration.
He called on the Minister for the Interior and other relevant authorities to dismantle these inland posts, warning that their continued existence raises troubling questions about the performance of security agencies at the actual borders.
“We are not under a state of emergency anymore. So what are military and police personnel still doing harassing our people? This should not be happening in any part of Ghana, let alone here.”
Togbe Hodo Calls for Stronger Ties with Volta MPs
In a bid to improve governance and regional representation, Togbe Hodo appealed for deeper collaboration between the Volta Regional House of Chiefs and the Volta Caucus in Parliament. He lamented the lack of engagement, noting that invitations extended to the caucus are often ignored.
“Some of our MPs now hold very sensitive positions in government. Yet, when you call them, they don’t respond or pick up. That is not the reason we voted for them. We must foster unity, dialogue, and cooperation.”
He urged the Regional Minister to serve as a liaison to close the communication gap and encourage MPs to engage meaningfully with traditional leaders on development matters.
Chiefs Must Support Government for National Progress
Despite his concerns, Togbe Tepre Hodo IV acknowledged the relative progress made under the current administration over the past seven months. He reiterated his belief that traditional authorities must support the government of the day in fostering peace and development.
“It’s not about politics, it’s about Ghana. If we have ideas, we must share them. Let us move together to develop our region and country.”
He ended his remarks with a call for unity, progressive action, and shared responsibility in building a better future for the Volta Region and Ghana at large.
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