VIDEO: 'Angry' Akufo-Addo responds to land-grabbing allegation

President Akufo-Addo has debunked allegations that the creation of the Oti Region out of the Volta Region, is a land-grabbing move.

At a town hall meeting with Ghanaians residents in Washington D.C. as part of Akufo-Addo’s trip to the United States of America for the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly, a concerned Voltarian directly confronted the president with his concerns about carving out Oti from Volta, which, in his view, was veiled conduit by the Akan-speaking Oti people to annex lands of the Ewe-speaking Voltarians.

“Majority of us in the Volta Region think it is a land-grab,” the concerned Voltarian insisted, adding that even though the advocates are Ghanaians, “they are grabbing [the lands] from the Ewes”.

According to the concerned Voltarian, the “Oti people are Akan and they do not want any Ewes next to them”.

However, President Akufo-Addo responded that the creation of the Oti region is not a land-grab and that the matter will be determined through a referendum as there have been strong calls and petitions to that effect.

Akufo-Addo added that the commission of enquiry recommended the creation of six new regions after reviewing the petitions. Several consultations were held with stakeholders across the country on the matter and as such the move cannot be tagged as a land-grab.

Meanwhile, President  Akufo-Addo has said the process for the creation of the proposed six new regions is now in the hands of the Electoral Commission (EC) and Ghanaians.

He was receiving the Report from the Commission of Enquiry at the Jubilee House, in Accra from its Chairperson, Mr Justice S.A. Brobbey.

In the report, the Commission recommended the creation of the six new regions - Western North, Bono East, Ahafo, Savannah, North East, and Oti.

It further recommended that the EC should hold referenda in those areas to determine whether the constitutional threshold for the creation of new regions would be met by the vote of the people affected.

President Akufo-Addo expressed his deep appreciation to the nine-member Commission “for bringing to a conclusion this momentous undertaking”, adding that he had followed with keen interest the proceedings of the Commission, and was satisfied with the wide nature of the consultations undertaken.

At least 50 per cent of the persons entitled to vote must vote in the referendum in each of the areas.

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