President to Give Legal Backing to New Regional Capitals Tomorrow

By Yaw Kyei

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will,from tomorrow to Friday, issue Constitutional Instruments (CIs) to give effect to the creation of the six new regions.

The new regions, North East, Savannah, Bono East, Ahafo, Western North, and Oti received massive endorsements in a referendum held in the affected communities recently by the Electoral Commission (EC).

The Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah told the Ghanaian Times yesterday that the President would issue the instruments tomorrow (Tuesday), Wednesday and Friday.

President Akufo-Addo would begin the ceremony with North East and Savannah regions tomorrow, continue with Bono East and Ahafo regions on Wednesday, and complete the process with Western North and Oti regions on Friday.

Delegations of chiefs and people of the new regions have been invited to be part of the ceremonies at the Jubilee House.

In accordance with law, the instruments would be laid before Parliament to mature after 21 sitting days.

With the maturity of the C.I. Ghana will now have 16 regions.

Already the government has made budgetary allocations for the provision of basic infrastructure for the smooth take-off of the new regions.

The creation of the six new regions is in fulfillment of President Akufo-Addo's campaign promise ahead of the 2016 elections.

Itis expected to, among other things, deepen decentralisation, ensure an inclusive and participative governance, and equitable distribution of resources.

President Akufo-Addo received a number of petitions from citizens, traditional rulers and communities requesting the creation of the new regions.

Following the petitions, the President set up a nine-member Commission of Enquiry, under the chairmanship of Justice S.A. Brobbey, to look into the demands and make recommendations.

President Akufo-Addo, as required by law, presented the government's White Paper on the recommendations of the Commission of Enquiry to the EC for the referendum in the six areas.

The referendum for the creation of the new regions, held on December 28 last year, met the threshold of 50 per cent voter turnout and 80 per cent voting YES.

Proponents of the referendum have expressed their profound gratitude to the government for heeding to their calls.

The preparatory work for the creation of the new regions was spearheaded by the Ministry of Regional Reorganisation and Development.

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