Needless Immigration and Police Checkpoints crippling the Volta Region

For years, people in the Volta Region have faced unnecessary immigration posts and police barriers. These checkpoints are located at Asikuma, Sogakope, Juapong, and other areas. They serve no real security purpose. Instead, they cause harassment and economic disruption.

The situation is especially frustrating between the Adomi Bridge and Ho. Travelers encounter six or seven security checkpoints along this route. Immigration, Customs, Police, and other agencies staff these stops. This makes a simple journey exhausting with constant document checks and interrogations.

Frequent travelers know the irritation of being stopped repeatedly. Buses must halt, passengers disembark, and individuals face questions about their nationality. Being Ghanaian in the Volta Region should not be suspicious. These delays add hours to journeys that should be smooth.

Why must travelers prove their citizenship multiple times? Why do market women, students, and professionals face redundant checks? There is no justification for this inconvenience.

These posts were set up due to exaggerated fears of secessionist activity. That threat has long passed but the system remains to intimidate citizens.

The Volta Region boasts stunning landscapes and rich culture. However, these checkpoints deter tourism and commerce. Tourists face humiliating stops that leave negative impressions of the region. Business owners experience delays that increase costs and hinder trade.

How can the government promote tourism at Wli Waterfalls or Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary? Visitors endure multiple security checks just to reach these sites. How can traders from Accra or Togo operate efficiently when held up for no reason? These barriers harm economic activity instead of protecting it.

The worst part is the arrogance displayed by some security personnel. Immigration officers often order passengers off buses for degrading walks past posts. Those who question these checks face hostility.

Even traditional leaders are not exempt from this treatment. Paramount chiefs like Togbi Tenge Dzokoto Gligui have lodged complaints about harassment. If chiefs are treated poorly, what hope do ordinary citizens have?

Togbe Tepre Hodo IV has called for immediate removal of these posts. His demand reflects growing frustration among citizens tired of being treated as suspects in their own country. Immigration checks belong at borders—not within Ghana's interior.

The continued existence of these checkpoints insults the Volta Region's dignity. It perpetuates outdated practices that have no place in a modern Ghana. The government must act now: dismantle these barriers and end harassment.

Enough is enough; change is long overdue for the people of Volta Region.