Voting for New Regions Slated for December 2018

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo says he formally written to the Electoral Commission (EC) to conduct referendum for new regions before Christmas.

This mean that the EC will hold a referendum at the end of this year to determine the creation of the proposed new regions as recommended by the Brobbey Commission of Inquiry.

The president made this known when he addressed a Durbar at the forecourt of the overlord of Mamprugu land in Nalerigu.

He entreated citizens of the proposed new regions to actively participate in the upcoming referendum saying, “I have done my part, the rest is up to you. And I say that because the constitution says that 50% of all those who are registered and entitled to vote in the areas affected have to turn out to vote on the day set by the Electoral Commission and of that 80% must cast their votes for Yes before the region can become a reality.”

“So if indeed, the people of Mamprugu want the North East Region, Kukurumoti, it is the thumb that will decide for you but I am very hopeful and expect that we will get a very massive Yes votes.”

President Nana Addo explained that his administration’s intention to create new regions is nothing new.

“At the beginning of the last century, in colonial times, we had three regions in Ghana. The Northern Territories, the Ashanti Protectorate and the Gold Coast Crown colony. Just before Independence, the Gold Coast Crown colony was divided into Eastern and Western Regions and subsequently in 1956, the Trans-Volta Togo land referendum was held which brought Trans-Volta Togo land into the regions of Ghana.”

“In each time, the creation was in order to bring governance closer to the people. So independence, we had five regions and shortly after Independence, the Brong Ahafo was created by Kwame Nkrumah’s CPP government out of Ashanti region and then in 1960 the Central region was created out of the Western region and subsequently the Greater Accra region was created out of the Eastern Region. And then the beginning of the government of the PNDC under his Excellency Jerry John Rawlings, the Upper East, and Upper West regions were created to bring the numbers to 10.”

He added that “We are now 30 years and hopefully we’re going to add six more regions to make it 16 regions in the country.”