CREATION OF NEW REGIONS: Selecting residents in affected regions to vote is wrong - Kofi Akpaloo

Date: 23 September 2018

By Kweku Antwi Jnr

Founder of Labour Party of Ghana, Kofi Apkaloo

Founder and Leader of the Labour Party of Ghana (LPG), Kofi Akpaloo, has criticized the decision of the Electoral Commission (EC) seeking to allow only citizens affected by the creation of the new regions to vote in the referendum.

He believes occupants of the entire affected regions must be allowed to have a say in the referendum.

The question of who votes in the referendum has become the subject for debate since the President Akufo-Addo announced that the Commission of Enquiry into the creation of the new regions has established that there is substantial demand for six new ones.

The six proposed regions are Western North, Bono East, Ahafo, Savannah, North East and Oti, which will be carved out of the Western, Brong Ahafo, Volta and Northern Regions.

The regions will only be created if 80 percent of the more than 50 percent residents in the affected areas vote YES in the November 27 referendum.

The EC has already begun registering voters within the affected areas.

Kofi Akpaloo in an interview with PrimeNewsGhana said “I think the government from the onset invited all political heads. We met at the Flagstaff house and we all discussed the need to create a new region. There’s going to be a referendum where areas are going to be affected. Volta region is one, therefore, we should expect a referendum”.

He added “there is a complete region and we want to demarcate and therefore, we have to seek the consent of everyone in the region. There should be no exception. Everyone has to participate”.

Mr Akpaloo said, “we are sure going to divide the western region into two; the western north and the western south”.

He also argues that the creation of the new regions may put pressure on the public purse.

“We are going to have 6 more regions and this means us going to have 6 more Regional ministers and their deputies, 6 new coordinating directors, 6 new administration blocks. 12 bungalows for the new regional ministers and their deputies. Over 12 new vehicles, allowances, salaries”.

He further stated, “creating these new regions does not solve a problem unless we push economic activities to those regions so we need to have some of the government agencies’ headquarters sent to these places”.