Let’s address the concerns

Under Economic Objectives in the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, it is stated that the state shall, among others, take all necessary st

balanced development

eps to undertake even and of all regions and every part of each region of Ghana, and, in particular, improve the conditions of life in the rural areas and generally redress any imbalance in development between the rural and the urban areas.

Subsequently, the Constitution says the President may, by constitutional instrument, create a new region, alter the boundaries of a region or provide for the merger of two or more regions. This, obviously, is to bring development to the doorstep of the people.

It is for this reason that the current government promised to create more regions to make administration easier, as population increase over the years, coupled with the long distances between regional capitals, makes business transactions between the districts and the regions difficult.

True to its word, on assumption of office, the President set up a Commission of Enquiry to solicit the views of people in the areas where proposals for the creation of new regions had been made.

The commission set up by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to consider calls for the creation of new regions submitted its report and recommended the creation of four more regions – Western North, Oti, Savannah and Brong East – out of the existing 10.

To all intents and purposes, the process to create the regions is on course, with the Electoral Commission preparing to hold referendums in the affected areas.

All seems good and successful, but the undercurrents do not bode too well for peace and tranquillity in those areas.

Right from the beginning of the process to create the regions, the country has witnessed the registration of both opposition and support for the idea.

Especially in the Volta and the Northern regions, we have seen a section of the populace vehemently opposed to the creation of new regions and the issue seems to be getting murkier as the forces against the creation of the new regions fiercely continue to voice their opposition to the process.

Perhaps what makes it more worrying is that the opposing forces have the chiefs in those areas at the centre of events.

We note that those opposing the programme have cited cultural, historical and geopolitical factors, as well as insecurity, as the reasons for their stance.

It is here that the Daily Graphic would urge the government not to take these lightly, since, though they may seem not very significant as far as numbers are concerned, ignoring their fears can create a problem for the areas and the country at large in the future.

Fortunately, the road map for the creation of the regions has not ended and we urge the government to listen to the people and address their anxieties.

Humans, by nature, hold so dear their cultural ties. There may be the fear that the bond that exists among people from a common ancestry will be broken.

Here the Daily Graphic encourages the affected people to resort to dialogue with the appropriate authorities for those apprehensions to be addressed for us to move together in our development.

We are of the view that cultural and historical ties are issues that can be dicey, even for the most advanced societies, and the earlier these are addressed, the better it will be for us all. Certainly, this is not above our government and the people.