The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has described the late Charles Kormi Kudzordzi popularly known as Papavi as a man who was passionate about transforming the Volta Region.
Papavi, the leader and founder of the separatist group, Homeland Study Group Foundation (HSGF) passed on Saturday, October 17 after a short illness.
The 87-year-old is known for championing calls for the separation of the “Western Togoland” from Ghana through his secessionist group.
He was acquitted and discharged on health grounds after being charged with treason.
But paying glowing tribute to the late Papavi, Mr. Ablakwa described him as a Pan Africanist who had the Volta Region at heart.
He disclosed that although his ideologies differed from his, it was clear that the late Papavi had an ‘unwavering commitment to see more development in the Volta Region.’
I am deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Mr. Charles Kormi Kudzordzi — more popularly known as Papavi.
Wishing his soul peaceful repose.
Even though as a unionist and Pan Africanist I didn’t and couldn’t have supported his campaign for Western Togoland secession, there was no doubt that he was particularly passionate about the transformation of the Volta Region.
It is therefore my hope and expectation that fallible as all men are, Papavi’s positive side — which was his unwavering commitment to see a more developed Volta Region despite the frailty of old age would be honoured by an immediate presidential directive from Nana Akufo-Addo to open all our land borders.
This will bring to an end more than a year of economic tribulations of our compatriots leaving in border communities across the country.
Papavi may as well be remembered for his attempts to have us divided when he was alive, the President has it in his power to use the memory of Papavi’s loss to cement our national unity and end the policy discrimination between air travellers and land travellers as all ECOWAS member states have done.
