Stay focused on devt of new regions – Prof Asante advises govt
Rev Prof Emmanuel Asante, Chairman of the National
Peace Council has cautioned that, though the six new regions created by the
Akufo-Addo-led government will bring the needed development in those areas but
the authorities must guard against corruption, as it can whittle away the feasibility
of those developments.
Prof Asante further called on the government not
to concentrate its development agenda in only the regional capitals but
decentralise for the benefit of all the people in the new region.
Speaking on Accra based ClassFM on Thursday, 28 February
2019, Prof Asante said: “The Creation of the new regions will definitely bring
development.”
He explained that: “It will bring development in
the sense that the new regions will have regional ministers, they are going to
have their staff and all sort of things … but I’ll say that development should
not be concentrated on the capitals.
“You need decentralisation of planned
development in these regions. I don’t see why if the capital is at Goaso, the
regional hospital must be at Goaso and everything must be at Goaso.
“Development should be distributed to the
various centres like Bechem, Duayaw Nkwanta, Kukuom and all these places so
that all will have their share. Once that is done, there will be decentralised
development and I’m sure that the people will benefit a lot…
“So, these regions will definitely bring the
development that is needed in those areas. My only prayer is that we’ll be
truthful and honest and not allow corruption which is the bane of African
countries to whittle away the possibility of development in those places.”
The creation of the new regions was a campaign
promise of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) during the 2016 elections.
After the NPP won the polls, a Commission of
Inquiry, headed by a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Stephen
Brobbey, was instituted to ensure the creation of the regions.
Accordingly, Oti, Bono East, Western North,
Ahafo, Savannah and North East regions were created.
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Radia Sambare
Radia Sambare, is an online journalist, covers special events and reports about Africa and geopolitics, passionate about telling stories related to social justice and environmental issues. She's born and raised in Accra, Ghana.