No need for new regions – Expert

A local governance expert, Ing. Issaka Amon Kotei has opposed the creation of new administrative regions in Ghana describing the move as unnecessary.

According to him, Ghana does not need six additional regions to ensure developments gets to the entire country, adding that instead, the government must channel its resources into improving the existing structures and ensuring an effective disbursement of funds to the district level.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) government true to its campaign promise in the lead up to 2016 upon assuming power has established the Regional Reorganisation and Development Ministry to carve out new regions within the next four years. About six regions are expected to be created out of the Northern, Brong Ahafo, Western, Volta regions.

The Council of State in a statement after a meeting with the President Tuesday said they have studied the proposal for the regions submitted to them by the minister for the sector Dan Botwe and are convinced that is it in the right direction.

“Your Excellency, in the latter part of June, the Council received a communication under your hand, seeking the Council’s advice on the creation of new regions. Enclosed in the communication were copies of the petitions from the Chiefs and people of the Western, Northern, Brong-Ahafo and Volta Regions “from where the demands from the creation of new regions had been the most vociferous”. Mr. President, the Council has meticulously gone through these petitions which numbered some 312 pages with accompanying maps and statistical data,” the statement said.

But Mr. Amon Kotei in an interview with Accra FM was of the view that the Akufo Addo led-government must tread cautiously as the move can backfire with its attendant consequences.

“As it stands now, what is preventing people from getting development and taking governance to the doorstep of the people which the government has said is the reason for wanting to create more districts. I just don’t get it, is government saying unless we divide the regions, people will not participate in governance, is that the true picture? I’m sorry, no…no. Resource distribution when the regions are created are a potential conflict issue. If it’s about development, the Central government must make sure that monies disbursed to the districts, get to their intended destination.

“I have more issues with this division of regions, when we vote MMDCEs and we have the mandate of the people, about 20 DCEs putting themselves together to form a clique could easily call for a federation, and I don’t know whether this is what we want to do. Even with the demarcation, I don’t think it will be easy for those who are going to manage the situation. We’re all witnesses to what is happening with Ga South and Awutu Senya Districts where they fight over revenue because the demarcation was poorly done.”