Tsatsu Tsikata Calls for Reparations for SALL Residents Over “Historic Injustice”
Lawyer argues SALL communities were denied parliamentary representation and development benefits after 2020 elections
- Tsatsu Tsikata says SALL residents deserve compensation for being denied parliamentary representation
- He links the situation to electoral boundary changes after the creation of the Oti Region
- Tsikata insists the issue has not been fully resolved
Private legal practitioner Tsatsu Tsikata has called for reparations for residents of Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe, and Lolobi (SALL), arguing that they were unfairly denied parliamentary representation during Ghana’s 8th Parliament.
He explained that the situation arose after the creation of the Oti Region under Constitutional Instrument 112, which left the SALL communities without a Member of Parliament following the 2020 general elections.
Speaking at an honorific lecture and awards ceremony at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, Tsatsu Tsikata said later administrative changes, including the creation of the Guan Constituency ahead of the 2024 elections, do not adequately resolve the harm caused.
He noted that simply establishing a district or constituency does not compensate for the loss of development opportunities tied to parliamentary representation.
According to him, “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. For one thing, the mere denomination of a district and a constituency does not provide the development resources that are the legitimate aspiration of the people.”
He further argued that residents were deprived not only of representation in Parliament but also of development benefits that come with having a legislator.
“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.
Tsatsu Tsikata described the situation as a “historic injustice” linked to actions by the Electoral Commission of Ghana, which he said prevented eligible voters in the area from participating in the 2020 parliamentary elections.
He added that the Electoral Commission had itself acknowledged it would have been unlawful for voters in those areas to be asked to vote in the Buem constituency, despite the constitutional instrument being cited in its defence.
The matter, he noted, remains before the courts as affected residents continue to seek legal redress over their exclusion from the electoral process.
