Kojo Oppong Nkrumah
THE RULING New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration has dismissed claims that the agenda to create six additional regions out of the existing 10 regions in Ghana is based primarily on tribal considerations.
Information Minister designate, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has therefore urged those claiming that the exercise is tribally motivated to desist from those non-factual claims. He said this on Sunday whilst addressing the media at a press conference in Accra.
“Therefore, those who seek to claim that the exercise is tribally motivated should desist from those non-factual claims and instead seek to convince the people of the affected areas to vote ‘no’ at the referendum,” the minister stated.
“They have an opportunity to vote ‘no’ in the referendum later this year. There are stringent constitutional thresholds that ensure that unless there is an overwhelming demand by people in the areas affected these new regions cannot be created; 50% turnout and 80% must vote yes,” he added.
He reiterated that the referendum on the creation of the six new regions shall be held in December this year.
Making reference to Article 5 (2) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the minister explained “the whole process emanates from petitions sent to the President and forwarded to Council of State as the President is obliged to establish whether there is the need and substantial demand for the creation of a region as the Constitution demands”.
“Indeed over the last 30 years, presidents of the Republic have been presented with petitions starting with that of Bono East some 30 years ago. Records of all these petitions are available.”
He indicated that since the country’s return to democratic rule, all presidents under the 4th Republic had been presented with these petitions except that in most cases presidents did not trigger the procedure laid down under Article 5 (2).
The one that went very far was that of the “Oti Region” which went before Cabinet in 2003 but did not move further.
BY Melvin Tarlue