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.

Speaking at a public forum held in Kete Krachie to seek public views on the proposal for a new region to be carved out of the existing Volta Region, David Yaw Chipa, the Vice President of the Nchumuru Youth Association, said it is their desire to leave the current Northern Region to join the proposed new region in order that development can be accelerated in the area.

[contextly_sidebar id=”r1qQGggdMdGhXolbG2LnXDGkbka1iyIN”]“When it comes to development, if you’ve been to Kpandai, for so many years, the place has been neglected. Most of the infrastructure, be it educational institutions and hospitals are all centered in Tamale, Damango and most of the big towns in the Northern Region. The access routes in our area are mostly footpaths. That is why we are appealing to the Commission to allow us to join the Oti Region.”

The Kpandai District is the gateway to the Northern Region from the Northern part of the Volta Region, and shares close boundaries with Banda to the South, Salaga to the West, Kpasa to the East and to the North is Nanumba. The Nchumurus who are said to be part of the Guans occupying that area of the Northern Region believe that joining the new region would not only bring development to their underdeveloped areas, but  it will also draw them closer to their counterparts in the Volta Region.

“Culturally, we belonged to a group of Guans and for what we call colonization, there was this history that the Germans allowed the Gonjas to rule over the Nawuris and Nchumurus. People still want to claim that the old theory must apply. But the fact that we are Guans and by tradition, we belong to the Guan fraternity, as you see the way we dress, our people are over here and we want to join them.”

Traversing about five regions in Ghana, the Volta Region is often described as a microcosm of all ethnic groups in the country housing the major tribes like Ewe, Guans, Akans, and minor tribes such Ga Adangbes, Nanumbas, Konkombas, Dangombas, Ewes, Nawuri, Gonjas, Tsekorti and Kortorkorli.

The Commission, led by Allan Brobbey, is holding public hearings in the region to seek the views of the people on the proposed split of the Volta Region.

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By: King Nobert Akpabli/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post N/Region towns request to join yet-to-be created Volta North Region appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The suit follows an initial letter sent to the Commission of Enquiry expressing reservations about the schedule of meetings in the region with regards to the proposed Oti region.

[contextly_sidebar id=”izGiTBaBvKzoyPIwtZfKNPaF75ETLyTV”]The chief is seeking the following reliefs in his suit:

• A declaration that the decision to hold public hearings into the creation of the new region in the Volta Region only in the Northern part save for Ho, the regional capital infringes applicants’ fundamental human rights  guaranteed under the constitution, 1992.
• A declaration that the exercise of second respondents’ discretion in selecting only venues in the North, save for Ho, the regional capital is arbitrary, bereft of candor and unreasonable, given the Commission’s terms of reference in clear violation of Article 296 of the 1992 constitution.
• An order compelling the respondents herein to extend to the South of the Volta Region, public hearings into the matter of the creation of the new region in the Volta Region.

‘Southern views important’

A petition was earlier submitted to the Commission of Enquiry requesting that the hearings in the Volta Region be expanded beyond the northern part of the region to cover areas in the south as well.

The lawyer for the seven petitioners, Albert Quashigah, told Citi News that his clients had decided to petition the Commission because they felt that persons who lived in the southern part of the region were being discriminated against in the process.

According to them, the decision to select venues for the hearings which were predominantly based in the north, constitutes an exclusion of the people in the south, despite the fact that a regional split would affect the entire region.

“About five venues have been chosen. My clients became alarmed because if you look at the distribution of the venues for the hearing, you would find that they are basically concentrated in the northern part of the Volta Region,” he said.

“These public hearings are for the Volta Region. The region is a mass expansion of land from the south to the north, and the eventual creation of the region would affect the entire region. So if you want to do a public hearing on a matter as sensitive as this, you don’t create the impression that only those who live in the areas involved in the split will be considered.”

‘Most appropriate venues’

In their response to the concerns raised, the Commission said given the fact that the petition had been received for the creation of a new region from the northern part of the Volta Region, it was imperative that it visits the parts earmarked for the split to determine whether the action is viable.

In a  letter to the petitioners signed by its Secretary, Jacob Saah, the Commission said the venues chosen for the hearings were the “most appropriate” to ensure the ultimate success of its work in the region.

“The Commission is of the considered opinion that the venues for the public hearings, published in the Daily Graphic of January 8, 2018, are the most appropriate if the objectives of the mission to the Volta Region are to be achieved. The Commission’s visit has been necessitated by a petition from the Chiefs and people of the northern part of the Volta Region demanding the creation of a new region,” the letter said.

“The facts and issues raised in the petition can only be verified in that part of the country. The Commission therefore has a duty to visit the northern part of the Volta Region to observe things at first hand, and interact with its people directly. The Commission is aware that the Chiefs and people of other parts of the Volta Region also desire for their opinions to be heard on the matter at hand.”

President Nana Addo set up a Commission of Enquiry  in 2017 to collate the views of various stakeholders and residents on the creation of new regions.

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 members to undertake the consultation process.

The Commission has also engaged chiefs and opinion leaders from the Western, Volta Northern and the Brong Ahafo Regions during its consultations.

Government is seeking to split the Northern, Western, Volta and the Brong-Ahafo Regions. However, some analysts, including chiefs have expressed their reservations about the move, arguing that it is merely for political advantage.

But the Minister of Regional Re-organisation, Dan Botwe, has dispelled such claims, saying the new regions would create economic opportunities for all.

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

The post Volta Chief sues AG, Commission of Enquiry on new regions appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

It is the sense of neglect that has informed their petition for a new region, the Secretary of the Joint Consultative Committee, Kwaku Addaeh said to the press.

[contextly_sidebar id=”PCKxBBEomb7VB36q8393qbpfBXDeo5sK”]He was speaking after appearing before the nine-member Commission of Inquiry on Wednesday, where he affirmed that there were over 400 chiefs in favor of the new regions.

Mr. Addaeh said the JCC had more than a strong case for the creation of a new region, saying “if over 400 chiefs attend [during the JCC’s first conference] then it means the people are there. Without the backing of the people, they can’t go there.”

History of supposed neglect

Arguing out his point about neglect, he noted that, for “a population of 700,000 people, there is no university, there is no agricultural college, there is no polytechnic. When you go to the health sector, our hospitals are few, and wide spaces of land where humans reside have no hospitals and the clinics are not well resourced.”

In his view, there was “a deliberate British policy not to develop the Northern side of the Volta Region and the northern region.”

As it stands, some of the areas of deprivation in Ghana are located in the three regions of the north, extending downwards to parts of the Volta Region.

On the question of a regional capital, Mr. Addaeh said no decision had been taken yet.

“The only decision that we have taken is that, wherever any person wants the capital to go, he should write a memorandum to the secretary of the Joint Consultative Committee. We will set aside one day for the meeting and make appropriate recommendations to the chiefs.”

Why the Commission of Enquiry?

The Commission of Enquiry was set up by President Akufo-Addo to examine petitions on the possible creation of new regions.

It is to engage petitioners from the Western, Volta, Brong Ahafo and Northern Regions, out of which the new regions are to be carved out.

A delegation of Chiefs, MPs and staff of the Western North secretariat of the Western Region has already had discussions with the Commission on Tuesday.

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By: Caleb Kudah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post New Oti Region will end history of neglect – Petitioners appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to him, the move is a waste of time.

[contextly_sidebar id=”sXUj8myh6UjyFBOxlaUuroPHJItuAAsl”]“We are separated into ten regions. If some people they call politicians have their way, we are going to get about 14. And that for me is another waste of time and a red herring. You don’t need to break it up,” he argued on Citi FM‘s news analysis programme, The Big Issue on Saturday.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and honouring his campaign pledge of creating additional regions created a new ministry known as the Ministry of Regional reorganization headed by Member of Parliament for Okere constituency, Dan Botwe.

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

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

“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 added.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Creating new regions waste of time – Casely-Hayford appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

He said the subject, which had become a political agenda for major political parties since the third Republic, was of great concern to people in the Region necessitating consensus building ahead of its implementation.

Nana Alloh was addressing the first meeting of the House in 2017 in Ho.

He said, “as far as the citizens of the Region are concerned, opinions and views of the split are equally divided, even among chiefs in the region, some in favor of, and some against it. It is therefore, very important that there must be consultations with the various stakeholders before a final decision on the region is reached.”

Nana Alloh bemoaned the dwindling role of traditional leaders in the governance of the nation, which he said had made them relevant only as functional heads and custodians of culture and called for a ‘rethink of the role of chiefs in the governance of the nation’.

He also called for the revision of the Volta Region Development Agency (VORDA), established by Togbe Afede XIV, the Regional Coordinating Council and the business community in 2009 as a regional development authority.

Nana Alloh said although VORDA was instrumental in attracting foreign investors, hiccups such as difficulties in the acquisition of land had caused its dormancy.

He said a reorganization of VORDA could play a critical role in government’s “one district, one factory” policy and the industrialisation of the Volta Region.

Nana Alloh therefore called for support from government in that regard and appealed to it not to abandon social interventions initiated by the previous administration.

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Source: GNA

The post Chiefs call for broader consultation in splitting Volta Region appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Akufo-Addo, who is currently on a 3-day tour of the Western Region, said in an interview on Takoradi-based Skyypower FM, said he is committed to his resolve to split the region into two, to ensure proper development and management of its resources.

[contextly_sidebar id=”A1hkzIIeKJ29euPEnILKAcuzYrkRKE05″]Akufo-Addo argued that, the demarcation will ensure a more effective governance structure for the country.

“The whole process of regional and local government organization is with this spirit…you know that in Nigeria for instance, they had five regions, today they have 36, and everyone who has had an interaction with Nigeria, will acknowledge that it is a more effective structure they have now than they had before,” he said.

He added that, “so we are also considering our structuring which has been with us for some 25 or 20 years, to see whether we cannot improve the governance by rearranging and reorganizing some of these regions. It is in that context that the Western-north region will be created,” Akufo-Addo noted.

He noted that, an NPP government will also consider the creation of the Oti Region in the Volta Region, as part of the restructuring process.

“We are looking at the Oti Region in the Volta Region, and the possibility of the Mid-West region; so it is a whole process and we are looking at it,” he said.

“We want to get going as quickly as possible because having an efficient governance system will help the country, those in government and the citizens,” he added.

‘Mahama to create 5 new regions’

President John Mahama had also hinted of the creation of five new regions, if he’s retained for a second term.

He said increasing the administrative regions from 10 to 15, will be dependent on recommendations from a Commission of enquiry which will be set up.

Speaking at the launch of the highlights of the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) 2016 manifesto highlights, he said, “We’ll set up a commission of enquiry to look into the creation of new regions… we currently have 10 regions and we believe that it is possible to increase the number to 15. So we will set up a commission of enquiry that will look into the viability of increasing the number of administrative regions in Ghana from 10 to 15.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post New region will happen in my first 6-months of office – Nana Addo appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.