Currently, Ghana is divided into ten regions, 275 electoral constituencies and 216 districts. The 1992 constitution stipulates that any decision to create additional regions in Ghana must ultimately be decided by the people through a referendum.

I must start by stating my position on this issue. Although I respect the arguments in favour of the creation of additional regions, I am not a supporter of such position. I believe creating additional regions will not in any way promote development. If it would, we will have no excuse to be underdeveloped especially since we have created new districts and constituencies almost every four years since 1992. Instead, I argue that regional ministerial positions be converted into electable Governorship positions.

Let us revisit the debate.

Some chiefs and opinion leaders have advocated for separate regions because of what they describe as historical neglect of portions of existing regions when it came to economic and social development. During a public consultation hearing on the creation of the new regions, a local chief from the Western Region is reported by citifmonline.com as saying “Throughout the four years stay of a government in power, the Western Regional Minister could only be seen here twice. He is far away in Sekondi, so it makes it very difficult for chiefs to see him regularly to discuss issues of mutual importance. But if the Western North Region is created, this can stop”. Other chiefs have highlighted similar sentiments. In the same report, another chief was reported as saying, “Anyone who opposes the split, I doubt is a living being”.

As ridiculous and interesting as these arguments could be, they are at the heart of the challenges we face as a country. I am just 26 years. I was just a year old when Ghana transitioned to multi-party democracy in 1992. But in my young adult life, we have barely solved any of our developmental challenges in a holistic manner. We always look for the easy way out, create some sort of ineffective commissions, dance around the problem and a few years later, we are haunted by similar problems – then we start the same process again, set up a new commission to review the previous commission. Our issues with electricity generation, transportation, access to water, access to healthcare were present before I was born, and are still here with us today. I guess I will have to return to this later.

I was born in Atortorkope, a village in the Ada East District of the Greater Accra region. For most part of my life, I can barely recollect anything the government has done for my village or the people residing in it. Indeed, some people in my village are fast becoming disillusioned. Some have even refused to vote in the last general elections- Considering it is the ‘world bank’ of the NDC, I am sure its part of the reason they lost the last election. Now if we are to go by the logic put forward by those in favour of creating new regions, then my village should as well become a new region because that is the only way we can have our fair share of the “national cake”. And if this logic should be generally applied, then almost every underdeveloped area in Ghana could be a region in the next few years.

Here is why I think creating a region is such a bad idea.

Many have already cited the cost involved in running a new region. The new regions have not been created, but we already have a ministry in charge of that. The M inistry of Regional Re-organization and Development has a minister, who runs on the national budget. Granted that a new region is created, we will need to build new regional offices, hire new people, procure new vehicles (most likely at an inflated cost), and don’t forget we will need a new Regional Minister and Deputies. All of these come at a cost. Even before a new region is created, it must first pass through a referendum, which comes at a huge cost to the state. Is it not possible that the resources and efforts that would be put into this venture be channelled into developing the under-developed areas that have necessitated the creation of new regions in the first place?

Putting the cost argument aside, I am yet to be convinced on how creating new regions will translate into development. Will the mere existence of new regions translate into an automatic elimination of schools under trees? Will it result in tarred roads? Will it result in the provision of beds in school dormitories? Will it solve corruption? certainly not! At best, it is likely to result in duplication of the current state of inefficiency and ineptitude that has engulfed the existing regions. If we bow to the demand to create new regions today, can we resist if people from my village rise tomorrow to demand a new region?

What should we do then?

Perhaps it is time we revisit the idea of decentralization and local empowerment. We cannot empower local people or “send governance” to local areas by merely creating new regions and appointing people to man them. We need to give real power to people at the local level.

Within the current constitutional arrangement, regional ministerial positions are nothing but a mechanism to reward party members. Moreover, regional ministers work at the mercy of the president and have no real power. Therefore, instead of creating new regions, we need to start by reforming our existing Regional and local governance structures.

For me, we must first start by converting the Regional Ministerial positions into an electable Governorship positions. Based on this proposition, Regional Governors will be directly elected by people in each of the regions of Ghana. Each region shall be allocated a proportion of the national resources taking cognizance of its size and population as agreed by parliament. With this arrangement, Regional Governors will be directly responsible for developing their regions, thereby reducing the enormous powers concentrated with the central government. The autonomy and powers this system will give Governors could attract experienced and visionary (wo)men to contest Regional Governorship positions.

How do we ensure check and balances on Regional Governors? I hope each district will have the chance to elect their DCE’s very soon.  Each MDCE will automatically become a member of a regional assembly which will act as a direct check on the regional governors. What this means is that, at each point, regional Governors may not be of the same political persuasion as the central government. It will, therefore, strengthen accountability both on central and regional governments.

I believe by doing this, we will not only be sending governance closer to people, but we will also be empowering people to take an active role in their development. Each Regional Governor will be forced to undertake development for fear of losing the next elections. I believe this will serve us far better than just creating a new region and maintaining the status quo.

Conclusion

If we are truly committed to developing our country, the question we need to ask is: how to do we reform our current system to deliver the progress we want? While creating new regions may seem simple and easy, we ought to understand that they will not translate into automatic development. Ultimately, these discussions must be guided by the future of our country in mind. If we bow to the pressure to create new regions, what will we say in ten years’ time if another group demands a separate region?

The constitution has given enormous powers to the president. Perhaps it is time we started reforming our governance and development structures by cutting powers from the central government and diffusing them to local levels. In my opinion, the starting point is a re-examination of the idea of regional ministers. It is my hope that this could trigger a more serious national debate beyond just creating new regions.

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By: Richard Kweitsu ([email protected])

The post Do we really need new regions in Ghana? [Article] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The current government’s moves to respond to persistent appeals from people in the northern part of the Volta Region to have a new region carved from the existing one was met with a lot of criticism, mostly from the southern dwellers who claimed the move was being done for political expediency.

However speaking at a sensitization workshop for journalists, Civic Educators and Information Service Workers in the region, the Minister said, the government has no particular interest in the creation of the new region.

He added that the government was only following the dictates of the constitution in tandem to such demands and was not involved in demarcating and naming the proposed regions.

“Government is not spending any pesewa to propagate that. All that we do and we are enjoined to do is what we are doing now; that we should understand the process. The government, I’m sure, will only come in with technical advice to support them,” he emphasized.

The Minister, after taking participants through the Constitutional Provisions governing the creation of the four proposed regions and the role of government in the process, charged the participants, numbering of about 215, to effectively play their roles as the channels linking the government and the citizenry.

The Volta Regional Minister, Dr Yaw Archibald Letsa who was also at the event appealed to the participants and the general public not to see the initiation of the processes for the creation of a new region as politically motivated, but it as an attempt to ensure sustainable development in remote territories in the country.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, in fulfilling the demand for the creation of four new regions, constituted a nine-member Commission of Inquiry to look into the proposals for the regions.

The sensitization workshop in the Volta Region was to prepare the communicators ahead of the region’s turn to submit its inputs to the committee next week.

The workshop is expected to be held in Brong Ahafo and the Northern Region as well.

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By: King Nobert Akpablie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post V/R: Gov’t not sponsoring petitions for new region – Dan Botwe appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

He was speaking at the durbar of chiefs and people of Aprede to climax the celebration of the 2017 Odwira festival and the outdooring of a new Kyiedomhene of the area, at Aprede.

Mr Botwe, who is also the Member of Parliament for Okere, announced that government had awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of the streets   in the Aprede Township, adding that, the road between Adukrom and Aprede had also been awarded on contract to start in January 2018, with the construction of a pedestrian walkway to end the knocking down of school children by vehicles on the road.

Mr Botwe pledged that government would use the GETFund to support the construction of an ICT centre and a teachers’ quarters initiated by the chiefs and people of Aprede.

In a speech read on his behalf, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Eric Kwakye Darfour appealed to kingmakers in the various traditional councils in the region to help resolve the various chieftaincy disputes in the region by strictly abiding by the established succession traditions of their localities.

He urged the judicial committees of the various traditional councils to expedite action on chieftaincy disputes brought before them to help save the resources of the region.

Mr Darfour said efforts to manage the various tensions created by the chieftaincy disputes in the region are of huge cost to the Regional Coordinating Council, the Municipal and District Assemblies and the security services in the region.

He thanked the people of Okere for accepting the proposed district capital of their new district.

Mr Darfour said out of the six new districts proposed for the region, two had raised concern about the proposed district capitals but did not elaborate.

Earlier, in a welcoming address, the Apredehene Nana Okoampa, said the town had plans to take advantage of the historical heritage of the area and the various waterfalls to develop a vibrant tourism industry there.

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Source: GNA

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The Nine Member Commission chaired by Justice Alan Stephen Brobbey, ended its in-camera hearings on the creation of the new regions on Tuesday.

[contextly_sidebar id=”kkSIe2gSAwAMgd8351yLEXzgt8WmQc0g”]Speaking to the media, Dan Botwe said he is hopeful that the Commission will break for Christmas and resume in January 2018.

“In the C.I., the president gave the Commission of Inquiry six months to work and they started in October. I know that per their programme this year, they are going to Western Region and that is from 11^th to 16^th December, and then they will break for the Christmas. Then they will resume in January. So from January they have to go to the rest of the three regions and they should be able to finish and write their report by the end of the six months deadline,” he added.

He explained that after the Commission’s work, the Electoral Commission (EC) is expected to conduct a referendum for the acceptance or rejection of the new regions.

About Justice Brobbey’s Commission of Inquiry

The Commission was tasked by the President to produce a report on its work, and present recommendations which will subsequently be handed over to the Electoral Commission.

The Commission, upon assumption of office, toured the Volta, Western, Northern and the Brong Ahafo Regions, to solicit the views of residents on the creation of the new regions.

A retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Brobbey, led the committee of 8 other members to undertake the consultation process.

It has over the past few days also engaged chiefs and opinion leaders from the Western, Volta Northern and the Brong Ahafo Regions.

The Electoral Commission is expected to organize a referendum for the creation of the new regions following final recommendations from the commission.

If 50% of persons living within the proposed areas endorse the proposal, the process of creating the new regions will then be implemented.

The creation of new regions was one of President Nana Addo’s several campaign promises in the run-up to the election in 2016.

Government is seeking to split the Northern, Western, Volta and the Brong-Ahafo Regions. However, some analysts have said the move is merely for political advantage.

But the Minister for Regional Reorganization, Dan Botwe, has dispelled such claims, saying it would instead enhance the economic opportunities as well as promote effective governance in such areas.

Once the in-camera hearing of petitions has ended, the Commission will move into the regions to hold public hearings. That process is expected to begin this month from the Western Region.

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By: Caleb Kudah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The Commission has, so far, received two different petitions from the region requesting the demarcation.

[contextly_sidebar id=”dnfFeVTqmD95cl4nR1o7NzBuFcKmr50c”]The Chairman of the Commission hearing the cases of petitioners seeking the creation of new regions, Justice Steven Alan Brobbey, said the commission after today’s [Thursday], sitting, will hear the case of another group that is seeking further division of the Brong Ahafo Region on Tuesday.

“We will seek to understand the background to your petition, the issue you raise and any other information you may consider helpful to our work. After today’s hearing, we will continue on Tuesday 28^th November by hearing the petition from petitioners demanding the creation of Brong East Region out of the existing Brong Ahafo Region. That means the Brong Ahafo now may have 3 regions; the current Brong Ahafo Region, Brong East Region and the Ahafo Region if cases are made for their creation,” he said.

He added that “the purpose of the meeting is to afford the Commission the opportunity to hear first-hand from persons who have submitted petitions for the creation of new regions.”

The Omanhene of Yamfo, Nana Ansah Adu Baah II, who is part of the petitioners for the Ahafo Region, told journalists ahead of the meeting with the Commission that the Ahafo part of the Brong Ahafo Region started petitioning the state since 1986, for the creation of the region.

He said he was resolute that partitioning the region will be the surest way to bridge the yawning development gap.

Meanwhile, the Minister for Regional Organization and Development, Dan Botwe, has given assurance that his ministry will not interfere in the work of the Commission, except to provide logistics for its smooth running.

“We only ensure logistical arrangement. We are not part of their discussions, we are not sitting in their meeting because they are going to present their report to the president [at the end of their sittings], he said.

Hearing on the petitions for the creation of a region out of the Northern Region, will be held on November 29 and December 5.

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By: Jonas Nyabor & Caleb Kudah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Petitioners want BA divided into 3 regions appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Commission, upon the assumption of office, will tour the Volta, Western, Northern and the Brong Ahafo Regions, to solicit the views of residents on the creation of the new regions.

[contextly_sidebar id=”lanjwb81c0WXSh02y5qu6FabkfFpK0z6″]The Commission’s recommendations will subsequently be handed over to the Electoral Commission to organize a referendum on the matter within the various regions out of which the new ones will be carved out.

If  50% of persons living within the proposed areas endorse the proposal, the process of creating the new regions will then be implemented.

Expressing his optimism about the process which is yet to begin, the President said in a recent address that: “As you know, the constitution then says that, now having given a positive response to the request from the President, that the President will go ahead now and establish a commission of inquiry to look into the demand to see that it is reflecting in the responses from the people and also to deal with the ancillary issues that emerge. The boundaries, the name, and all of those matters will be the remit of the commission of inquiry. Once it is established, they will work expeditiously also as you have done.”

The commission’s recommendations will be handed over to the Electoral Commission to organize a referendum required to secure 50% endorsement of citizens of the proposed areas under consideration.

The carving of new regions was one of President Nana Addo’s several campaign promises in the run up to the election in 2016.

Government is seeking to split the Northern, Western, Volta and the Brong-Ahafo Regions, however some analysts have said the move is for political advantage.

But the Minister for Regional Reorganization, Dan Botwe, has dispelled such claims, saying it would instead enhance the economic opportunities as well as promote effective governance in such areas.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

The post Commission of inquiry for new regions to be inaugurated today appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to him, the creation of new regions by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government was not for political advantage but help ensure even distribution of development across the country.

Appearing before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday [January 30] Dan Botwe showed how the division of the new region using the Ghana map.

” It should be clear to us that some of the things politicians do in creating areas for political advantage is very temporal. He said the NPP created new constituencies and yet lost them later in elections. The NDC also created 45 new ones and also later lost the political advantage. The real issue should be development-led creation of districts and constituencies and not politics-led demarcations,” he said.

He told the committee that he believes the implementation of the plan will be easier considering the fact that the previous government who are now in opposition had also considered the split some of the country’s regions.

He pledged to closely work with chiefs and traditional authority to ensure the project was successful.

“I feel I’m lucky to be heading this ministry because it looks like there is a meeting of minds on this area. The NDC mentioned it  in their manifesto and the NPP and the President also believe there is the need to create more regions, so we all agree with this,” he said.

Dan Botwe insisted that although his duty is an expensive venture, its must not be abandoned, because it has many advantages to the beneficiary regions.

Dan Botwe noted that all new regions will get various state development vehicles such as Regional Coordinating Councils and a regional house of chiefs to guide the region’s development.

“A new region means several state institutions will have to be created such as  Police, Fire Service, health posts and all these generate jobs and enhance development.”

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Dan Botwe justifies creation of new regions appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Freedom From Torture said medical reports of 34 women showed many of them had been brutally gang-raped.

The women – who included traders and professionals aged between 18 and 62 – are seeking asylum in the UK.

DR Congo spokesman Lambert Mende said he would respond to the charity’s claims if it gave more details.

In its report, Freedom From Torture said one woman was arrested and raped after organising a protest against rape.

It said another women had “documented 68 scars attributable to torture. Fifty-six of these scars were attributable to a specific instance of gang-rape”.

The group’s Dr Juliet Cohen told the BBC: “There are some striking consistencies in the experiences of sexual violence and torture of the women in this report which strongly suggests that this horrific abuse is being routinely carried out in prisons in the DRC.”

‘Not human beings’

DR Congo is often dubbed the “rape capital of the world”, with rights groups saying that rape and sexual violence has become a weapon of war since conflict broke out in the early 1990s.

In May, two soldiers were convicted of rape by a military court in eastern DR Congo, where numerous armed groups still operate.

Thirteen other officers were cleared of the charge.

Freedom from Torture said women were raped by security force members to stop “women speaking out about politics, human rights and, in some cases, rape itself”.

One woman, named as Faith in the report, said security force members raided her home in early 2013 after she organised an anti-rape protest in the western province of Bas Congo, some 2,000km (1,100 miles) from the conflict zones.

“One of them said: ‘You are talking about rape, now we’ll show you what rape means’. They raped my niece in front of us. Then they took me to prison,” she is quoted as saying in the report.

“Now I know, because I have been there, that it is normal for women to be sexually abused in prison… The soldiers and the prison guards, they don’t see women as human beings, they don’t see any value in women. I can’t even remember how many times I was raped,” she added.

Since her arrival in the UK, Faith has been admitted to hospital, Freedom From Torture said.

“She suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression and she no longer likes being around other people,” it added.

Source: BBC

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