Commission to hold consultations in Western Region

The Western Region will from next week Monday, December 11, 2017 host the first regional public hearing on the creation of new regions.

That, according to the Chairman of the Commission of Enquiry on the creation of new regions, Justice Stephen Allan Brobbey, is to afford the commission the opportunity to have further consultations with petitioners and other members of the public.

Justice Brobbey made the announcement when he welcomed petitioners from the Maprugu District in the Northern Region led by their overlord, the Nayiri, Naa Bohigu Abdulai Mahami Sheriga. The appearance of the group from Maprugu marks the end of the first phase of hearing.

“There will also be a final meeting in Accra after the regional hearings to hear presentations from those who would not be able to be at the respective regional hearings but may want to make presentations on the creation of the regions”. Justice Brobbey noted that the days for the public hearings in the other regions apart from the Western Region would subsequently be announced to the public.

Background

The in-camera hearing of the Commission of Enquiry on the creation of new regions commenced on November 21, 2017 at the Osu Castle in Accra, with petitioners from the Western Region being the first to appear. They were followed by the Volta Region, while two petitioners from the Brong Ahafo Region also had their turn. Petitioners from the Northen Region including those from the Maprugu area were the last to appear before the Commission yesterday to end the first phase of the consultations.

Per Article 5 of the 1992 Constitution, the President may by a Constitutional Instrument (CI) create a new region, alter the boundaries of a region or provide for the merger of two or more regions.

The President, upon the receipt of petitions to that effect, will, on the advice of the Council of State, appoint a Commission of Enquiry to look into the demand and make recommendations on all the factors involved in the creation, alteration of boundaries or the merger of two or more regions.

Mr Justice Brobbey said the commission was also to make recommendations to the President based on its findings on the creation and alterations of regions.

“It is also to specify the issues to be determined by referendum and the places where the referendum should be held, where it makes recommendation for the creation and alteration of regions,” he added.

Provisions of the Constitution

The Minister for Regional Reorganisation and Development, Mr Dan Botwe, during an interaction with the media, said the government would act in consonance with the provisions of the Constitiution and also ensure that the exercise was very transparent.

“This is not being done because of manifesto promise but it is being done because the people have petitioned and, therefore, government would only facilitate the process” he added.

Mr Botwe said in order to ensure a successful regional exercise, his outfit, with support from the Information Services Department and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), had already engaged journalists in the Western Region to sensitise them to the entire process.

On October 19, 2017, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo inaugurated a nine-member Commission of Enquiry under the chairmanship of Mr Justice Stephen Allan Brobbey to review the petitions for the creation of new regions.The commission is expected to present its report to the President within six months.