Committee to review outstanding issues on creation of new districts

Accra, July 17, GNA- The committee set up to review applications for the creation of new districts has suspended its work to enable it to review all outstanding issues as they relate to particular areas and zones before proceeding with its work.

The four-member committee was set up last year by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to review applications for the creation of new districts.

Mr Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, the sector Minister said this when Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, NDC-Ningo/Prampram asked the Minister to list the groups and persons who attended public hearings on the creation of new Districts in the Greater Accra Region.

The Minister said 72 applications were received and the Committee undertook the exercise in phases after the country was divided into four zones for purposes of reviewing petitions and applications. Mr Adjei-Darko said the Committee sat in Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Eastern, Central and Western Regional capitals to review the petitions from respective regions.

By the end of January 2003, the committee had covered two of the four zones or about six of the ten regions and encountered a lot of problems including who qualified to represent who at the hearing and which town qualifies as a district capital.

The Minister said there were instances where chiefs of certain areas had appeared to contradict claims made by their own subjects whilst other presenters were of the view that traditional areas should be coterminous with District boundaries.

Mr Adjei-Darko mentioned the Juapong issue involving the Akwamus and others in the area as a state of confusion that made the committee decide that it was appropriate to pause with its work and review all outstanding issues.

He said right now the committee is yet to visit the three Northern Regions and the Greater Accra Region to conduct public hearings. Ms Akua Sena Dansua, NDC-North Dayi, Mr M. A. Seidu, NDC-Wa Central and Mr Cletus Avoka, NDC-Bawku West all wanted to know the status of the districts claiming to be municipalities.

Mr Adjei-Darko said no district has as yet been elevated to the status of Municipality since the Legislative Instrument (LI) establishing them has not been before parliament and so all the districts claiming such status are illegal.

Mr Kofi Attor, NDC-however drew the Minister's attention to the declaration made by the President, Mr John Agyekum Kufuor to elevate some districts to municipal status and asked whether that was illegal.