No names yet for new regions - Dan Botwe

Minister of Regional Reorganisation and Development, Dan Botwe, has stated that names being spread around as the adopted names of the yet-to-be-created regions in the country are not authentic.

Likewise, he has indicated that towns that are being alleged to have been pre-selected as the capitals of the new regions are also false, so the public should treat such information with the contempt that it deserves.

Addressing the National House of Chiefs in Kumasi on Wednesday accompanied by members of the commission of enquiry into the creation of new regions in the country to brief the traditional rulers about their operations so far, the minister said it is also not true that the boundaries of the proposed regions had been outlined by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

Government, Mr Botwe said, would consult relevant bodies like the National House of Chiefs, Town and Country Planning and others before names, capitals and actual boundaries of the new regions would be selected.

According to him, six people submitted petitions to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to invoke the Constitution to pave way for the creation of the new regions, adding that the Constitution had been followed since then.

Mr. Botwe said the long and tedious constitutional processes, which are required to be followed in the creation of a new region, is being followed strictly.

He stated that government and its officials would not mount platforms to campaign and woo the people to vote ‘Yes’ during a referendum, which would be held to decide whether the proposed regions should be created or not.

According to him, some people petitioned government that they needed new regions to be carved out of the existing regions, adding that it is the duty of the petitioners and other interested parties in the regions to work to achieve their aim.

The government, he explained, would only carry out the constitutional mandate of facilitating the processes that would lead to the holding of the referendum, where the people would determine whether they like the new regions or not.