KACE Director General backs calls for creation of Bono East Region

A former Brong-Ahafo Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party and current Director General of the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT, Mr. Kwasi Adu-Gyan has added his voice to the agitation of the chiefs and people of the proposed Bono East Region saying it will be a means for rapid development.

Though the quest by government to accelerate development through the creation of regions has received mixed reactions, Mr. Adu-Gyan noted that it is a common prove that governance and development becomes effective in smaller units due to effective supervision and inclusiveness.

According to Mr. Adu-Gyan despite aresearch by the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana indicating the joy of the people in areas where new regions will be created as means to development, some political commentators especially have tagged the whole exercise as a mere attempt to score political points.

The former Brong-Ahafo Regional Chairman of the NPP believes that the assertion of His Excellency Nana AddoDankwaAkufo-Addo that “The process of devolution of power will require that we look again at the regional structures of our country all with the aim of trying to promote rapid development of Ghana” driven by his vision for the country means a lot to Eastern corridor of Brong-Ahafo who consider the new region as a ground breaking given strategy to FastTrack development in the area, and emerge from years of neglect and discrimination of sort.

In his interaction with a section of the media, Mr. Adu-Gyan recounted, out of Brong-Ahafo’s total land size of 39,557 sq.km, the propose Bono East Region alone covers 24, 017 sq.km, adding, “This vast stretch aside making the area the food basket of the region if not Ghana at large, it is endowed with precious resources ranging from Gold,Diamond, Petroleum, lime stone, Timber etc.

He said, these valuable natural resources remain untapped while majority of the people contend with poor socio-economic infrastructure couple with high unemployment rate among the youth.

Geological data at the minerals commission according to Mr. Adu-Gyan shows that Gold is found in commercial quantities in towns likeMansie, Anyima, Amoma and Nansuano in the Kintampo south district. The Golddeposits as shown on the topographical map of the area cover 1,400sq.km. Within the same area, Diamond deposit especially inMansie exist in commercial quantities according to data from the minerals commission.

According to him, for the gold deposit in DonkoroNkwantain the Nkoranza municipality, Newmont Ghana Gold Limited has established with verifiable data, large quantities with plansto start mining as soon as possible. The DonkoroNkwanta gold potential covers close to 2,000 sq. km of land area.

In the Sene East District also in the BONO EAST, precisely at Premuase, seismic data available shows petroleum deposit in commercial quantities.

He recalled that in 1977, Shell Texaco Started drilling oil in the area in commercial quantities. The petroleum potential in the voltarian basin is the reason why Ghana National petroleum Co-operation (GNPC) commissioned an environmental impact Assessment (EIA) in 2016 with the aim to attract investment for commercial production. Interestingly, five (5) of the Municipaland district assemblies in the project area covers are in the proposed Bono East Region.

He further revealed, around New Longoro in the KintampoMunicipality, a special type of clay suitable for the production of clinker for cement and other industrial products such as paint and ceramics abound in large quantities. Several other areas abound quality clay that can be used for same products mentioned earlier.

The propose East Bono region according to Mr. Adu-Gyan is also endowed with enormous water resources with the Volta River being the main. From Kintampo Municipality, the river which served as the main boundary stretching through to Pru district, Sene East district and Sene West district covering a distance of over 460 kilometers holds a lot of economic value.

The river provides a source of livelihood to many people in the riverine communities. If sustainable fishing is adopted, it can transform the economies of these communities and the new region as whole. Apart from fishing, the river has large quantities of rosewood, a product which is sought after by the international community for the manufacturing of expensive products ranging from automobile furnishing and real estate etc. surprisingly, this much sought after wood as at now has become death trap to the fisher folk and frequently cause the capsizing of canoes and outboard motors leading to the loss of human life.

As if that is all, the Bono East area can boast of an array of human resources; Professors, Engineers, Doctor, Teachers, Technocrats in abundance. However, political representation has been skewed to the disadvantage of the people for a long time now.

Since 1959 when the Brong–Ahafo region was created, only two substantive regional ministers have come from the whole of the Eastern corridor. Of these two regional ministers, one (1) of them spent one (1) year, four (4) months in office. We have had only three (3) deputy regional ministers which case cannot be described as being fair.

The situation is even worse at the national level where the entire eastern corridor of the Brong-Ahafo has had no appointment sometimes at the ministerial level or any recognizable public office.

“We in the proposed Bono East Region therefore see the new region a means to reverse this unfortunate trend that we have suffered all these years. We are also confident that the economic potential of the area will now receive the attention for investment to create wealth for the people.” He stated.

According to him, the chiefs and people in the proposed Bono East region cannot agree more with H. E President Nana Addo that the new region will accelerate development and ensure effective governance. “It will also ensure fair representative that will adequately cater for the interest and needs of our people.” He added.

“We are therefore happy and welcome the new region with a resolve to collaborate with government to ensure it smooth fake off and sustenance.” Mr. Adu-Gyan assured.