Private legal practitioner Tsatsu Tsikata has called for reparations for the people of Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe and Lolobi (SALL), arguing that they suffered years of exclusion after being left without parliamentary representation.
According to him, the communities were denied both political representation and access to development opportunities during Ghana’s 8th Parliament.
Speaking at an honorific lecture and awards ceremony at the University of Professional Studies, Accra, Mr Tsikata said the injustice began after the creation of the Oti Region under Constitutional Instrument 112.
The change left residents of the SALL communities unable to elect a Member of Parliament during the 2020 general elections.
Although a Guan District and Guan Constituency were later created ahead of the 2024 elections, Mr Tsikata argued that those measures do not fully compensate for the years the communities spent without representation.
“It cannot be said that the subsequent creation of a Guan district and a Guan constituency are sufficient to remedy the injustice to the people of SALL,” he said.
He stressed that beyond political representation, the absence of an MP also deprived the area of development projects and other resources that could have been channelled through parliamentary representation.
“For the period they lacked representation in parliament and their share of the resources that could have been available through a member of parliament, I dare say they are owed reparation,” he stated.
Mr Tsikata further described the matter as a historic injustice caused by decisions of the Electoral Commission, which he said prevented eligible voters in the area from participating in the 2020 parliamentary elections.
He argued that even the Electoral Commission had acknowledged it would have been unlawful for voters in the area to vote in the Buem Constituency during the election.
The issue remains unresolved, with affected residents still seeking legal redress over what they describe as their exclusion from the democratic process.
