The creation of new regions for the country
The need to create new regions for a country becomes necessary to bring administrative zones closer to people in an area. The capital of the Volta Region, for example, happens to be too far away from the northern fringes of that region, making it difficult for the people in that area to receive the needed attention from the capital.
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Similar difficulties are also experienced in other regions, notably, Brong , Western and Northern. It, therefore, came as no surprise when petitions came from the chiefs and people of the four regions making a demand for the creation of new regions.
In line with the Constitution, the President forwarded the request to the Council of State to seek their view on whether there was the need for the creation of new regions. The Council of State came out with a unanimous decision that there was a substantial demand for the creation of new regions. This decision gives the President the green light to begin the process for the creation of the regions.
Actions relating to the creation of a new region, altering its boundaries or providing for the merger of two or more regions do not take place overnight but through a complex process aimed at ensuring that the desire for these rests on reasons that are soundly convincing and go beyond any shred of identifiable doubt. This is reflected in an elaborate process outlined under article five of the Constitution the purpose of which is to uncover why “…there is the need and a substantial demand for the creation, alteration or merger…” of regions.
After the commission of enquiry, appointed under article five, has made its recommendations to the President, he, that is, the President, will also refer the matter to the Electoral Commission for a referendum. Here, at least 50 per cent of persons entitled to vote in the referendum must turn up to cast their votes. Also, the votes cast must constitute at least 80 per cent in favour of the issue at stake. It is after the completion of all these processes that the President can issue a constitutional instrument to give effect to the results.
The chiefs and people in the regions who are clamouring for the creation of new regions have realised the need for new administrative/political territories in their areas of residence to facilitate governance and participation from the centre. With each region fighting for development, many areas in the country will see infrastructural development in terms of roads, hospitals, pipe-borne water, schools, among others.
The new regions, when created, will facilitate socio-economic development and bring it on the door steps of all the people in the respective regions. The Northern Region, for example, has the largest land mass at the regional level in the country. Its capital, Tamale, is not easily accessible by distant places in that region some of which are referred to as “overseas territories”.
The government at the municipal and district levels, when empowered by the national centre in Accra, can initiate rapid development programmes aimed at bringing development to the doorsteps of the people.
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The regions of Ghana constitute the first level of sub-national government administration within the Republic of Ghana. There are currently 10 regions, further divided for administrative purposes into 216 local districts. The current regional boundaries were officially established in 1987 when the Upper West Region was inaugurated as the state's newest administrative region. Although the official inauguration was in 1987, the Upper West Region had already functioned as an administrative unit since the break-up of the Upper Region in December 1982 prior to the 1984 national census.
The proposed regional re-demarcations are not aimed at creating new administrative regions just for the sake of it, but to ensure relative involvement of residents in the government of their areas. The President is, therefore, expected to establish a body to set out the modalities needed to address all issues that will emerge from the regional demarcations. It is expected that action on this will be expedited to ensure a smooth success of the programme.
The writer is Head of Public Relations, Ghana Standards Authority.