Some chiefs in the Western Region have rejected plans by the Akufo-Addo-led government to split the region into two, saying such a move will not bring about the needed development.
The splitting of the region as well as others was a campaign promise by Nana Akufo-Addo ahead of last year’s elections. He has demonstrated his resolve to fulfil the promise by establishing a new ministry solely dedicated to that target.
However, speaking at a forum on Wednesday, 8 February, Awulae Annor Agyei, Paramount Chief of the Western Nzema Traditional Area, said the split was needless.
“I don’t buy the idea of dividing the region into two, I don’t buy it but people think that when we have Western-North and Western-South [regions], it will enhance development. But for me there are other ways of improving the development agenda in the other sectors of the region where development is not going on.
“And we should look at what constituencies are we going to create there, what districts are we going to create? How can we give them revenue for improvement? And who are the people we are going to put as MPs in those constituencies and district secretaries in those districts.
“Now that there is a move even for election of district chief executives, if that happens then the people will select their own persons that they think can deliver. If we do that without necessarily dividing the region into two, I will be very grateful, they would have met one of my development agenda. We are already about five ethnic groups and I think that dividing us into various groups will not help us. We have the Nzemas, we have the Ahantas, we have Wassas, we have people from various areas and we are together now. Even as I talk now the one who is our president is from Sefwi Anhwiaso and that is the integration that some of us will prefer, but sharing into two, I think, is not a development agenda.”
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