I’ll create Oti Region. President Mahama assures northern Volta

President John Dramani Mahama has assured the chiefs and people of the northern part of the Volta Region that their age-old petition for the creation of the Oti Region will be considered in his next term.
“It is possible to create a new region out of the Volta Region,” he told ecstatic residents of Jasikan, one of the areas agitating for the creation of the region, last Tuesday.

The President, however, indicated that the creation would have to go through a constitutional process, which he would activate, when he is re-elected.

He, therefore, urged the people to vote massively for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on December 7 in order to make the promise a reality.

President Mahama was responding to an appeal made by the Paramount Chief of the Buem Traditional Area, Nana Aburam Akpanja IV, for the creation of the Oti Region .

The paramount chief spoke at a National Democratic Congress (NDC ) rally at Jasikan as part of the President’s Volta Region campaign tour.

President Mahama said he was aware that the chiefs in that part of the region had long petitioned the government over the issue.

Making reference to the 2016 NDC manifesto, the President said it was possible to create five new regions.

Agitation

Agitation for the creation of the new region started during former president Rawling’s era and continued in the Kufuor administration.

It was spearheaded by chiefs in the eight districts of northern Volta namely Krachi-West, Krachi-East, Krachi-Nchumuru, Nkwanta-North, Nkwanta-South, Kadjebi-Akan, Jasikan and Biakoye.

Recently, the Paramount Chief of the Krachi Traditional Area, Nana Mprah Besemuna, declared his support for the NDC’s manifesto to create five new regions and appealed to the President to consider the Oti Region as one of the new regions.

“We the people of northern Volta started agitating for the creation of an Oti Region out of the Volta Region as early as the J.J Rawlings administration. We renewed our demand again in the President Kufuor administration.

“We, therefore, pledge our full support for the creation of more regions in the country and wish to serve notice to the President humbly that we already have our petition before the government and hope it shall be favourably considered when the time comes,” he told President Mahama at a durbar to climax the Yam Festival at Krachi.

Agriculture and roads

Touching on the agricultural potential of the Jasikan area, the President said one of the farmers service centres that would be established in his second term would be located at Jasikan.

The centres would, among other things, provide tractor services, fertilisers, improved seeds, pesticides, agriculture extension services and mechanisation advice for farmers.

President Mahama also repeated the promise to pursue the construction of the Eastern Corridor road till completion.

He said the Volta Region would continue to have its share of development and urged the people to reject the propaganda by the opposition that the government had neglected the region.

Rains

Not even the afternoon downpour could stop NDC supporters from coming out in their numbers to meet their presidential candidate.

At Kadjebi, President Mahama spoke to hundreds of supporters who had waited in the rain for about an hour.

“Come and vote “

The General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah, urged registered Ghanaians living in neighbouring countries, especially Togo, to come home and vote on election day.

He said no one had the power to stop them from crossing the borders to cast their ballot.

The NDC scribe said the party had targeted 30,000 votes at Jasikan. In the 2012 election, the NDC had over 15,000 votes in the area.