Dan Botwe (middle) flanked by Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah (left), his deputy addressing the media
PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO has extended the submission of the report of the commission for the creation of new regions in the country out of the 10 existing ones.
The Justice Stephen Alan Brobbey fact-finding commission was to submit its report to the president by the end of April 2018 after undertaking a series of public and in-camera hearings with petitioners from the Western, Brong-Ahafo, Volta and Northern Regions who are pressing for the creation of six additional regions.
It completed its last batch of public hearings in March this year at the Accra International Conference Centre, having toured the aforementioned regions – in accordance with Article 5, Chapter 2 of the 1992 Constitution – to engage the petitioners on why or why not the regions should be created.
Minister for Regional Reorganization and Development, Dan Kwaku Botwe, told journalists at a press briefing in Accra yesterday that the commission, after appealing to the president for extension, will submit its report on June 30, 2018.
According to him, “We are hoping that by 30th June the commission will present its report to Mr. President.”
The Commission of Inquiry (Amendment) Instrument, 2018, signed by President Akufo-Addo and released to the media by the minister during the press briefing, indicated, “In exercise of the power conferred on the president under Article 5 of the Constitution, this Instrument is made this 30th day of April, 2018.”
The commission commenced work after it had been inaugurated by President Akufo-Addo on Thursday, October 19, 2017.
It was tasked to establish whether or not there was substantial demand for the creation of new regions based on petitions received by the president and advice from the Council of State as required by Article 5 of the 1992 Constitution.
It began its fact-finding mission with in-camera hearings with the petitioners at the Osu Castle, Accra and later went to the various regions – where the petitioners are demanding the creation of new regions – to hold public hearings.
BY Melvin Tarlue