A-G Begs for Time Over Oti Region

The Accra Human Rights High Court has granted the Attorney-General (A-G) leave to file its statement of case in the suit against the creation of Oti region out of the Volta Region.

This follows a request by the state to do so after it had failed to file earlier.

The court presided over by Ms. Gifty Agyei Addo wondered if Jonathan Acquah, the Principal State Attorney representing the A-G in the matter was aware the time to file the document had elapsed.

The court noted that without the statement of case, the State could not file its affidavit in opposition to the matter before the court.

Albert Quashigah, lawyer for the petitioners including Torgbui Patamia IV, Chief of Sregboe in the Volta Region said the respondents filed their statement of case as well as affidavit in opposition out of time.

Five petitioners, Jean-Claude Koku Amenyaglo, Joseph W.C Kugbe, Destiny Awlimey, Edward Kwasi Mensah and Emmanuel Opobi have dragged the state before the court claiming human right breaches over the creation of the region.

They claimed they had been sidelined in the public hearing leading to the creation of the region by the Commission of Inquiry tasked with the mandate to sensitize the locales on the creation of the region.

Unsatisfied by the processes the petitioners filed an application for judicial review at the court seeking the enforcement of their rights suing Justice Alan Stephen Brobbey, Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry, A-G and Dan Botwe, Minister for Regional Reorganization and Development as respondents.

They allege that the public hearings of the Committee concentrated only on the Northern part of the region without their involvement.

They say it is unfair given the fact that they would also participate in the referendum which would see the creation of the region.

The applications however want the court to order the Commission of Inquiry to come back to the region for those in the Southern Volta to also participate in the public hearings.

By: Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson/ thePublisher