I've No Personal Interest in Creation of New Regions - -President

By Yaw Kyei

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has dismissed allegations that his administration is pushing for the creation of new regions for his personal political interests.

According to the President, the government has nothing to gain or lose from the outcome of the referendum for the creation of the new regions.

The government's aim, he said, was to create a platform, through the laid down procedures in the Constitution, for the people living in those communities to take a decision through a referendum.

"It cannot be the machination of a few people. If the people do not want it, it will not happen. If they want it, it will happen," President Akufo-Addo said when the chiefs of the Aflao Traditional Council called on him at the Jubilee House in Accra yesterday.

"A lot of heat is being generated about this referendum. I don't have any plan (to benefit from the referendum). I went to the area, people made demands and we said that if we got power, we would put the constitutional process to test to see if it can happen"

"And I am not the only one; my opponents made the same commitments. At least it was one of the few things where there was unanimity. There was consensus for it" he said.

The President indicated that the concept of reorganisation and creation of new regions had been part of the country's development since the colonial era

He said about a hundred years ago under the colonial period, there were only three regions; the Gold Coast Colony, Ashanti Protectorate, and the Northern Territories.

Subsequently, after the Second World War when the British took over some of the territories of the Germans in Togo, he said Trans-Volta Togo Land became part of the regions.

He said the Eastern Region and Western Regions were later created, followed by the Central Region and the Upper East and West Regions.

"There is nothing new about this in our history," he said and added that the new regions would ensure comprehensive development of the country.

President Akufo-Addo said the reorganisation would make governance more efficient in the region and added that it could only happen if the people take a decision on it through Constitutional processes.

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