Obed Asamoah ditches NDC over Oti Region

Former National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Obed Yao Asamoah, has exposed the NDC’s plan to frustrate the ongoing process that could lead to the creation of another region out of the existing Volta Region.

The former Minister of Foreign Affairs and later Attorney General and Minister of Justice during the Jerry John Rawlings administration, said both the NDC and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) promised to create a new region in the Volta Region but the NDC is turning around to oppose the move, which he said would be political suicide for them.

“It is not in the interest of any member of the NDC to take a stance that would be interpreted to be opposition to or lack of interest in the creation of Oti Region,” he said during the presentation of a statement in support of the creation of Oti Region at the first public hearing in Ho, the Volta Regional capital, last Tuesday.

National Cake

“Both the NPP and NDC, as per the declarations of their leaders during the 2016 elections, are committed to the creation of an additional region in the Volta Region,” he recalled.

Dr. Obed Asamoah, who once broke ranks with the NDC to form the now defunct Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) before re-joining the NDC sometime in 2011, underscored, “We are interested in the creation of Oti Region purely for development and good governance purposes – not for ethnic solidarity or isolation.

“When the national cake is shared the Volta Region will now take a larger share with the creation of Oti Region, while government would be closer to the people of the new region.”

According to the former Attorney General, his involvement in the work of the commission “is to signify the non-partisan nature of this exercise,” adding that the political ramifications of the creation of Upper Region by the PNDC must be a lesson for all.

The commission of inquiry was set up pursuant to Chapter Two of the 1992 Constitution, Article 5(2), by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, after receiving six petitions from four regions.

The commission has a retired Supreme Court Judge, Justice Stephen Allan Brobbey, as the chairman, with eight other members and a secretary.

None of the members comes from any of the regions where President Akufo-Addo received petitions.

It started its work on 21st November, 2017, meeting all six petitioners at the former seat of government, the Osu Castle.

The in-camera sittings were to afford the petitioners the opportunity to explain further why their demand for new regions should be considered.

The commission then started public hearings on 12th December, 2017 and the first of it was in the Western Region.

It is currently in the Volta Region for the second part of its public hearings.

Currently, some opposition NDC MPs and other prominent personalities in the region are reportedly fighting hard to ensure that the Volta Region does not get divided.