NDC Promised to Divide Volta Region — Dr Obed Asamoah

A former National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the longest serving Foreign Affairs Minister and Attorney General under former President J.J Rawlings, Dr Obed Asamoah, has said the NDC during the 2016 election campaign promised to create a new region out of the Volta Region should they win the election.

Dr Asamoah said “both the NPP and the NDC, as per the declarations of their leaders during the 2016 election, are committed to the creation of an additional region in the Volta Region”.

Dr Asamoah was presenting a statement in support of the creation of the proposed Oti Region at the first public hearing in the Volta Region by the Commission of Inquiry into the creation of new regions last Tuesday at the Ho Technical University.

The Oti Region

He further stated that “it is not in the interest of any member of the NDC to take a stance that would be interpreted to be opposition to or lack of interest in the creation of the Oti Region.”

Speaking as a member of the concerned citizens of Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe and Lolobi, whose chiefs had decided to join the struggle for the Oti Region, Dr Obed Asamoah said, “we are interested in the creation of the Oti Region purely for development and good governance purposes – not for ethnic solidarity or isolation”.

He continued that “when the national cake is shared, the Volta Region will now take a larger share with the creation of the Oti Region, while government will be closer to the people of the new region”.

The former NDC national chairman stated that he could not see how any person in the Volta Region could be against moves that would improve the welfare of the people and that both regions of the Volta Region should be able to develop avenues of cooperation between them.

According to Dr Asamoah, his involvement in the work of the commission was to signify the non-partisan nature of the exercise. He said the political ramifications of the creation of the Upper Region by the PNDC must be a lesson for political astute.

Six petitions

The Commission of Inquiry was set up pursuant to Chapter Two of the 1992 Constitution, Article 5(2) by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, after receiving six petitions from four regions.

The commission has a retired Supreme Court Judge, Justice Stephen Allan Brobbey, as the Chairman with eight other members and a secretary. None of the members of the commission comes from any of the regions where President Akuffo-Addo received petitions.

The commission started its work on the November 21, 2017 meeting all six petitioners at the former seat of government, the Osu Castle.

These in-camera sittings were to afford the petitioners the opportunity to explain further why their demand for new regions should be considered.

The commission then started public hearings on December 12, 2017 and the first was held in the Western Region. The Commission of Inquiry is currently in the Volta Region for the second part of its public hearings.

Source: Graphic Online