Petition government to create new regions-W/Region Minister

The western regional minister Paul Evans Aidoo has asked the citizens of the country to petition the president to create additional regions in the country. This according to him will facilitate the efficient administration and equal distribution of the nation’s resources.

Article 5 clauses 1-8 of the 1992 constitution make provisions for the president acting in accordance on the advice of the Council of State create, alter the boundaries or provide for the merger of two or more regions in the country. It also empowers the citizenry to petition the president in demand for the creation of either a new region, the alteration of the boundaries of a region, and the merger of any two or more regions.

Delivering his speech at the 59^th Independence Day celebration in Takoradi, Mr. Aidoo noted that “…there is the need for us as citizens to assist the president to make pronouncement or to create new regions. Article 5 clause 3 also makes provisions for the president to create new regions as the country prepares to be 60 years in 2017. It will be of greater importance us to petition the president on that day for new regions”.

He argued that most of the current regions are too big and wide to be administered by one regional minister, while the chunk of the resources allocated to the regions goes to the regional capitals and surrounding towns to the neglect of remote towns and villages.

 “…in the western region for instance, the Bia East and West districts are far away from the regional capitals. Same is the situation in the Pru and Yeji areas in the Brong Ahafo region which are far away from Suyani the regional capital. When you have this situation in the regions, it makes coordination and monitoring very difficult. It is about time we create new regions from some of these regions”.

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