Accept President’s choice of regional capital – Residents of Oti Region told

The immediate past opposition National Democratic Congress Regional Secretary in the Volta Region, Simon Amegashie-Viglo has appealed to the people of the newly created Oti Region to accept and support any town President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo chooses as the capital of the Oti Region.

President Akufo-Addo is expected to announce a capital town for the newly created Oti Region on Friday, February 15, 2019.

Oti Region was scrapped from the Volta Region through a referendum.

By Friday, Ghana’s administrative regions will officially be increased from 10 to 16.

Various traditional leaders from the newly-created regions continue to pile pressure on the government to choose their preferred areas as capital.

On Tuesday, February 12, 2019 some aggrieved residents of Salaga burnt the NPP Constituency office after the President has named Damango as the capital town of the newly created Savannah Region.

But in a statement signed by the NDC former Secretary, Mr. Simon Amegashie-Viglo indicates “There are speculations that Jasikan, Nkwanta and Dambai are on the table of the President regarding the capital for Oti Region. Rumour has it that Kadjebi and Kete-Krachi are also making frantic efforts to win the heart and mind of the President”.

He continued “Dambai, according to speculation, appears favourable because of centrality, accessibility and opportunity for making it a tourist attraction because of the Volta Lake.

He added "There are unconfirmed reports that arrangements for the acquisition of land were concluded in Dambai by a highly powered gov’t delegation before the referendum”.

He, therefore, said he knows President Akufo-Addo is a decisive person to know which town suites the Oti Region as their capital after the final consultation is done.

“I know our President is a very decisive person and he will proceed to announce the capital of Oti Region after concluding his final consultations”, he said.

He concluded by assurance “The people of Oti Region should be ready to accept and support any town that the President announces as capital without any litigation, come Friday 15th February 2019”.

Below is the full statement

DETERMINATION OF OTI REGIONAL CAPITAL: AN ANALYSIS OF POSSIBLE OPTIONS

1. There are speculations that Jasikan, Nkwanta and Dambai are on the table of the President regarding the capital for Oti Region. Rumour has it that Kadjebi and Kete-Krachi are also making frantic efforts to win the heart and mind of the President.

2. Reports have it that Jasikan has made a strong point for seniority and comparative advantage in terms of the availability of infrastructure. The centrality criterion may affect Jasikan's bid to appropriate the capital.

3. Dambai, according to speculation, appears favourable because of centrality, accessibility and opportunity for making it a tourist attaction because of the Volta Lake. There are unconfirmed reports that arrangements for the acquisition of land were concluded in Dambai by a high powered govt delegation before the referendum.

4. By far the most important strong point for Dambai is the fact that it is the District Capital of Krachi East, the only Constituency in the Oti Region where NPP won the parliamentary seat. If the President decides to reward Krachi East for an abidding faith in the NPP, then Dambai stands tall in the race for Regional capital.

5. Nkwanta is another powerful contender for Regional capital because of the unflinching support of the Atsodes for the NPP Govt and the presence of powerful politicians like Hon Joseph Denteh, the Deputy GETFund Adm and Hon Kofi Blagogee, the Deputy Volta Regional Minister. Furthermore, Nkwanta is centrally located and has long been designated as an inland port on the Eastern Corridor.

6. But the disturbing ethnic conflicts there may well weaken Nkwanta's bid on the President's table despite the loyalty of Atsodes. For example, in November 2014, Hon Peter Kenyensu, the DCE for Nkwanta South, was gunned down in Nkwanta by unknown gunmen. The culprits are yet to be apprehended and charged. However, centrality and availability of land, may discount the prevailing ethnic conflicts.

7. I know our President is a very decisive person and he will proceed to announce the capital of Oti Region after concluding his final consultations.

8. I am far from the Desk of the President. I am therefore unable to read his mind on what his decision will be.

9. The people of Oti Region should be ready to accept and support any town that the President announces as capital without any litigation, come Friday 15th February 2019.

Signed!

Simon Amegashie-Viglo

Former Volta Regional NDC Secretary