Creation of new districts would not be arbitrary - Kufuor

Accra, Feb. 4, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Wednesday said Government would follow the laid down procedure in the creation of new districts.

He, therefore, appealed to chiefs, opinion leaders and people yearning for new districts to ensure that the appropriate criteria were met and the population was about 75,000 before they approached the Government for the creation of new districts.

President Kufuor was reacting to an appeal made by Nana Adu Adjei Bonsafo III, Omanhene of Nsuta Traditional Area, to create a separate district for the area from the Sekyere West District of the Ashanti Region.

Nana Bonsafo made the appeal when he led a delegation to pay a courtesy call on President Kufuor at the Castle, Osu.

Statistics available indicated that the population of the Sekyere West District is about 130,000 made up of 80,000 for Asante-Mampong and its surrounding areas and 50,000 for Nsuta and its surrounding areas. President Kufuor told the chiefs and elders that Nsuta had played a major role in the socio-economic development of Ghana and efforts would be made to develop the area.

He said the rehabilitation of the road network, provision of potable water and telecommunications and upgrading of the Nsutaman Senior Secondary School, were high on the Government's agenda. Dr Richard Winfred Anane, Minister of Roads and Transport, said the contract for the rehabilitation of the Asante - Mampong - Nsuta road was abrogated and re-awarded to a new contractor who was expected to commence work in February.

Nana Bonsafo commended the Government for the peace and tranquillity in Ghana and pledged the support of the people to ensure that the Government was retained in power this year.

He appealed to the Government to rehabilitate the Nsuta - Asante Mampong, Nsuta - Hwidiem and the Nsuta - Atwia - Oyoko roads. Nana Bonsafo said other needs of the people were the provision of potable water to solve their acute water problem, telecommunication facilities, upgrading of the Nsutaman Senior Secondary School and the creation of a new district for Nsuta.