I have no interest in new regions — Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has stated that he has no personal interest in the creation of the new regions.

He stated that there was no tribal or political plan to execute the process and said although he and former President John Mahama did not agree on many issues, there was unanimity and consensus on the creation of the new regions because of the recognition that the reorganisation of the regions would make government more efficient and accessible.

President Akufo-Addo, who stated this when the chiefs and elders from the Ketu South municipality paid a courtesy call on him at the Jubilee House on Wednesday called for calm in those areas that the referendum would take place.

The delegation was led by the Paramount Chief of the Aflao Traditional Area, who is also the President of the Aflao Traditional Council, Torgbui Adzonugaga Amenya Fiti V.

The Ketu South municipality houses three paramountcies: Aflao, Klikor and Some.

Constitution

Tracing the antecedent of the creation of regions in the Gold Coast and Ghana, the President said 100 years ago, there were three regions: the Gold Coast Colony, the Ashanti Protectorate and the Northern Territories.

He explained that after the First World War when the British took over the territories of the Germans in Togo, Trans Volta Togoland was also added, making the regions four, and in the mid 1950s the Eastern and Western regions were created out of the Gold Coast, making them six.

The President said subsequently, Central Region was also created and later Upper Region was carved out and later divided into Upper East and Upper West.

The voting during the referendum had always been about those seeking the autonomy or the independence, he said, and cited Scotland which voted whether to be independent or not, and that those who wanted to stay won, but the English, the Welsh and the Irish did not take part in the voting.

The President said it had always been those affected who had voted and referred to the Trans Volta Togoland and said the people of Keta and other parts of the area did not vote but those in Western Togo and the northern part of Ghana did.

Requirements

The President said the Constitution demanded that a minimum of 50 per cent of the people on the voters register must come out to vote and that anything less would annul the process, explaining that 80 per cent of those who would vote must vote ‘yes’ before the regions could be created.

He added that what was happening was not secession from Ghana nut that the people wanted an arrangement that would better work for them and the Constitution had stipulated a clear chapter dealing with such alteration of regions.

Per the dictates of the Constitution, he said, the recommendations of the Commission of Enquiry had to be subjected to popular votes by those involved.

“Each step on the way had been in accordance with the Constitution and the laws of Ghana. I will not be party in anything that attempts to subvert the Constitution of Ghana. I have fought all my life for constitutional rule in Ghana,” President Akufo-Addo stated.

President Akufo-Addo assured the people that very soon the roads in the Volta Region would see a major facelift because the government had concluded arrangements for those projects to commence.

Chief

Torgbui Fiti commended the government for opening the Aflao Border 24 hours and said that had boosted economic activities in the area.

He said most of the urban and feeder roads in the municipality became unmotorable and muddy during the rainy season and dusty during the dry season, causing a lot of health concerns, as well as affecting income-generating activities in the municipality.