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.

The nine-member Commission of Enquiry led by retired Justice of the Supreme Court Justice Stephen Brobbey, are on a consultative exercise in the Western Region to solicit views from stakeholders, after paramount chiefs in the region sent proposals to the president to have the Western Region split.

The Commission of Enquiry has so far held public consultations with residents in Sekondi-Takoradi, Aowin, and Suaman, as well as the three Wassa Amenfi Districts.

Friday’s trip was to Adabokrom, the district capital of the Bia East district.

The Chief of Adabokrom, Nana Adowah IV, expressed appreciation to President Akufo-Addo for honouring his campaign promise to create a Western North Region out of the Western Region.

“We thank Nana Addo for honoring his 2016 campaign promise based on which we voted for him. We are so happy he is doing what he promised us. In fact, he is like a prophet who has been sent to relieve us of our plight. Anyone who opposes the split, I doubt is a living being,” he said.

All the 200 persons present at the event backed calls for the creation of the Western North Region.

Some believed that the split “will bring governance close to us and also to fast-track development in the northern part of the region. I think it will be an end to the long journeys we make to Takoradi to work on things”.

“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,” one of the local chiefs told the Commission of Enquiry.

The engagement ended with the chiefs reiterating the need for the split due to the poor road networks in the area.

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By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Bia East and West districts back split of Western Region appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Commission, led by retired Supreme Court Judge, Justice Stephen Allan Brobbey, is to seek the views of opinion leaders and other stakeholders in the Western Region on the proposed split.

The team first had an in-camera session with the 20 paramount chiefs and their queen mothers in the region.

They were briefed on the constitutional provisions surrounding the proposed split, and the role traditional leaders must play in the process.

Request is from the people, not government

The Minister for Regional Reorganization and Development, Dan Botwe, who only explains constitutional provisions surrounding the proposed creations, but leaves the process to the Commission, explained in a Citi News interview that “the proposed creation of regions, even though was highlighted by the then-candidate Akufo Addo ahead of the 2016 general elections, is an action triggered by petitioners from the regions involved, who are acting on Article 5 clause 2 of the 1992 constitution.”

He continued that “there has been, since the 1980s, several proposals from chiefs and people of different regions who have since been petitioning the government to create the new regions.

“Before becoming a President, Nana Akufo-Addo had received many petitions from the chiefs and people to also create new regions. So the exercise we are doing is purely on the basis of our people acting on the powers of Article 5 clause 2 of the 1992 constitution” he emphasized.

Chiefs ‘divided’over expected development after split  

Whilst the Vice President of the Western Regional House of Chiefs Awulae Amihere Kpanyili III believes the proposed split of the region “will give development in the northern part of the Western Region a boost”, the Paramount Chief of the Western Nzema Traditional Area, Awulae Annor Adjaye III, is not enthused that a mere splitting will lead to accelerated development.

He described all the anticipated developments as a “probability because to develop there are so many factors.

The input itself or the people who are handling development at the helm of affairs, and then you also talk about the support the people in the area will also receive or give. These are all probability”.

First public hearing held in Sekondi/Takoradi

The team, after the engagement with the Western Regional House of Chiefs, moved to hold its first public hearing in Sekondi Takoradi.

Stakeholders such as Assembly members, District Chief Executives from the Shama, Sekondi-Takoradi, Nzema East Municipal, Ahanta West and the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal assemblies, as well as journalists and other known opinion leaders were present.

Whilst there were arguments in favour of the split, others suggested a re-look at the factors driving the request.

A legal practitioner speaking in favor of the split, opined that access to judicial services is concentrated in the southern and middle belts of the region to the detriment of the litigants in the upper belt.

Lawyer Edmund Akwaa Arhin argued that “we have six high courts in the Western Region. Three of them are in Sekondi, one in Tarkwa and then one in Sefwi Wiawso. We have 2 commercial courts and all of them are in the Sekondi. We do not have a single one in the northern part… even though there are a lot of commercial activities in the northern part, litigants have had to travel from that part to Sekondi. They do this at a great expense. Sometimes out of the inconvenience, litigants just give up the race. Many of the commercial cases from that part of the country do not see the light of day”.

But the host of the Jolly Breakfast Show on Skyy Power FM in Takoradi, Samuel Kojo Brace, opined that the argument put in favor of the split with the excuse of the travelling distance between the north and south does not add up.

“If it is the administrative hurdles that are created of the distance, how can’t we deploy technology such as scanning documents and sending them via the internet to have them signed at the regional office and sent back in real time without having to travel?”

The Commission of Enquiry is continuing its public engagement in the region. Their next stop is at Enchi, the district capital of the Aowin District. They will then hold other four public hearings at Adabokrom, Bibiani, Wassa Akropong and the Sefwi Wiawso districts to seek the views of stakeholders.

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By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Commission begins public consultation on western north region appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to him, even though the splitting could be emotional, the people in the northern part of the Western Region must also be given the opportunity to get what they want in terms of development.

[contextly_sidebar id=”uViIku1Lz9CpPTihkr9QBPK5lln0ziAm”]Speaking to Citi News after a consultative process at the Western Regional House of Chiefs in Sekondi by the nine-member Commission of Enquiry set up by the President to look into the proposals received for the creation of new regions, Awulae Amihere Kpanyili, who is also the Paramount Chief for the Eastern Nzema Traditional Area, maintained that he is yet to read theories suggesting that new regions do not facilitate development.

“The possibility is high. If not, what is the alternative to development or supporting the northern part of the Western Region? We do not have any better one. So until we have something different, we cannot condemn what we are doing.”

He continued that, “we need to be practical with ourselves. But of course, people will say the district assembly will be the one to carry out development. It is true, but perhaps a region will be a boost.”

The Upper East and West Regions in Ghana were split in the 1980s, but development in the two regions leaves much to be desired.

However, Awulae Kpanyili III believes that should not be a case for a halt in the process, but rather, it should encourage the Commission of Enquiry to do more to help avoid those challenges.

“We can make a case for the Northern part of Ghana. They are still in need, and we always talk about what they should get and all that. Yes it could be a case study, but it is upon us to even do more studies in that area…whilst things are ongoing on, we can still be checking to see what are the negative aspects, and if it outweighs the positive part, I think it will come [during the public hearings]. But right now just for us not to kill the spirit of the commission from doing it work…for now they should do carry on!”

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By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Western North region will boost development – House of chiefs appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

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

The post Commission on new regions will meet 6-month deadline – Dan Botwe appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

They are to engage petitioners from the Western, Volta, Brong Ahafo and Northern Regions.

[contextly_sidebar id=”Ovx41Kk5HMidFbnj4vB0rBIPtsrXzy0T”]A delegation of Chiefs, MPs and staff of the Western North secretariat of the Western Region, commenced discussions with the Commission.

President Akufo-Addo referred petitions from Chiefs and organizations of the named regions to the Council of State for advice, which were approved.

Speaking at the opening of Tuesday’s hearing, Chairman of the Commission, Justice Steven Alan Brobbey, said the Commission will give all petitioners a fair hearing.

“The purpose of today’s meeting is to afford the commission the opportunity to hear at first hand from persons who have submitted petitions for the creation of new regions.”

He added that the hearings will feature presentations from a maximum of 3 spokespersons of the petitioners to justify their call for the creation of the new regions.

Meanwhile, the Minister for Regional Re-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.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Commission of enquiry on creation of new regions commences work appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

When the move goes through, the Western Region will have 1 metropolis, 10 municipalities, and 21 districts.

[contextly_sidebar id=”O7i9IKGnV8S3fJjtf0BjGffUPEVbs0Y2″]Government’s proposal is that, the Effia-Kwesimintsim Sub metro, which is one of the three sub-metros making up the current Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, should be split for the two towns to stand alone and elevated to two separate municipalities; thus Effia Municipality and the Kwesiminstim Municipality.

The Sekondi Takoradi Metropolis will also be split to have separate assemblies for Sekondi, Takoradi and Essiakadu Ketan districts.

Speaking to Citi News, the Western Regional Director of the Electoral Commission Stephen Opoku Mensah said the directive was an executive instrument from the President Nana Akufo Addo to the Electoral Commission, following which the commission will start some consultative works after instructions from the EC headquarters.

Processes to begin the creation of these districts have however been put on hold by the Electoral Commission for now.

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By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Gov’t proposes 8 new districts for Western Region appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Council has, therefore, advised President Akufo-Addo to appoint a Commission of Enquiry “to inquire into the need and to make recommendations on all the factors involved in the creation of the new regions.”

Nana Otuo Siriboe II made this known on Tuesday, 15^th August, 2017, when the Council of State held its 2^nd meeting with the President of the Republic, at the Flagstaff House after studying the petitions for the creation of new regions which were forwarded to the Council.

According to the Chairperson, the Council of State, on the 29^th of June, received a communication from the President seeking the Council’s advice on the creation of new regions, as stipulated in the Constitution.

The communication, he said, contained copies of the petitions from the Chiefs and people of the Western, Northern, Brong-Ahafo and Volta Regions “from where the demands from the creation of new regions had been the most vociferous”.

This was after members meticulously went  through the petitions, which the Chairperson of the Council of State stated, was accompanied by maps and statistical data.

The Council was also briefed by the Minister for Regional Reorganization and Development, Dan Kwaku Botwe, on his interactions with the Chiefs and people of the four regions.

“The Minister did impress the Council with the elaborate home work he has done on this exercise including the extensive literature review on Ghana’s geo-political structure,” Nana Otuo Sriboe II said.

He added that “having studied the petitions submitted and the detailed briefing by the Hon. Minister for Regional Reorganization and Development, it is of the unanimous opinion that there is a substantial demand for the creation of new regions.”

President Akufo-Addo, during the election season promised to split some existing regions including the Western and Volta Regions

Akufo-Addo who had earlier said the splitting of the regions was at the consideration stage added that a referendum will be held after all the internal and constitutional processes were completed.

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post ‘There’s substantial demand for new regions’ – Council of State appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

President Nana Addo on Monday indicated at a durbar of chiefs and the people of the Bibiani-Anwhiaso-Bekwai District, on the first day of his three-day tour of the Western Region, that the proposal to carve a new region out of the Western Region is currently at the consideration stage.

The revelation has left the nation divided over the intended move.

[contextly_sidebar id=”3qC6Z1S6Kun1Cb2k52mhfiVn5bVOAxYT”]While some have argued the said creation is laudable, others are kicking against the move, saying it is only going to add a new layer to the bureaucracy.

Despite concerns for government to channel resources that would be used to undertake this project into other ventures, research has shown that majority of Ghanaians, especially residents in the four areas  where the said regional re-organisation is expected to take place support the idea, except the Volta Region where there has been a bit of resistance.

A Lecturer at the University of Ghana,  Ransford Gyampo who made this revelation on the Citi Breakfast Show indicated that though regional re-organisation is feasible, it would require rigorous processes.

“The President would have to set up a commission and the commission would do a lot of consultation to find out from the people whether the idea is feasible. If it is clear at the Commission’s level then there should be a referendum which will require conducting a plebiscite among the people who will be affected by the regional reorganisation there and 40 or 50 percent would have to turn out to vote and also get 80 percent votes for it. The opposition is also allowed to go and campaign against it…,” he explained..

Cost

Prof. Gyampo also wondered whether government had taken into consideration the cost implications of carving new regions.

“Have we considered the cost implication? This is a government that inherited an ailing economy. There is a lot of cost implication. You need to procure vehicles.”

He further questioned the motive for creating new regions, saying “what is the rational for re -organisation. Is it for development? If it is for development, I am not sure because the various institutions and local assemblies that are supposed to be putting in place government strategies will not immediately get up and work once a new region is created from another region so let us find out why they are not able to work to bring about development.”

Prof. Gyampo therefore asked government to thoroughly reconsider the creation of new regions especially as it claims the country does not have a strong economic footing.

Meanwhile a Lecturer at the Institute of Local Studies, Dr. Oduro Osae has lauded moves to create new regions arguing that it would lead to “some level of development.”

“Once the region is created, you need an administrative capital and you have most of the businesses relocating to the region. Once it is created , you will have us realigning the various district assemblies so that Common Fund can also be allocated to those districts,” he argued.

He however  indicated that one major challenge that besets this move is administrative bureaucracies.

“The other challenge is administrative bureaucracy in the creation because once we create, it means we will have more than ten regions. Administering  a country with more than ten regions, having more than ten regional Ministers is one of the administrative bureaucracies that will be created.”

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

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

The post New regions possible but costly – Ransford Gyampo appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.