Sekondi, Dec 5, – Mr Dan Botwe,
Minister for Regional Re-organisation and Development has hinted that the
proposed creation of new regions out of
the existing ones is not a government project but demand-driven.
“Yes it was a manifesto promise
during the campaign period but government on its own did not start the process
although it has the powers to do so, so this exercise of creating new regions
is purely based on request by petitioners from those regions”, he added.
Mr Botwe was speaking during a
sensitisation workshop on the creation of Region out of the Western Region for
the Media, NCCE staff as well as officers of the Information services
Department to equip them with relevant information on the subject matter for
better education of the public.
The 1992 constitution in chapter
two, article 5(2) and 5 (3) respectively enjoins the president to either alter,
merge or create an entirely new regions on demand by the citizenry or through
his prerogative upon advice by the council of State and a commission of inquiry.
Therefore, the promulgation of
the Constitutional Instrument (C.I 105), enabled the president to set up a nine
member commission of inquiry to look into petitions received from the various
traditional authorities and concerned citizens from four regions; Western,
Brong Ahafo, Volta and Northern Regions and ascertain its merit subject to a
referendum to authenticate the process.
The Minister for Regional
Reorganisation and Development said the terms of reference for the Commission
would be to inquire, pursuant to the petition, into the need and substantial
demand for the creation of new regions and thereby the alteration of Western,
Brong Ahafo, Northern and Volta Regions and make recommendations to the
president based on its findings and specify issues to be determined by
referendum and where referendum should be held.
The commission chaired by Justice
S. A. Brobbey, a retired Supreme Court Judge would solely operate in accordance
with article five of the constitution and the CI 105.
Already, according to the
Minister, some petitioners have appeared before the commission to dilate on the
subject adding, “We as a government are only helping to achieve the aspirations
of the people, no mischief, and no political agenda and at the end of the day,
the people will decide”.
The proposals from the
petitioners, hearing by the Commission across the four regions in which
petitions have been received is not an end in itself, but one key determinant that the people would
decide in a referendum supervised by the Electoral Commission.
GNA
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