Western North Region Thrown Out of Article 35 (6b) of 1992 Ghana Constitution Again

In July 2014, I published an online article on www.vibeghana.com and the title was: Ghana: North Western Region In Offing. The web hosting no longer exists, however, I also published the same article with a different title called “Neglected Sefwiman Seeks Breakaway” on https://newsghana.com.gh/neglected-sefwiman-seeks-breakaway/. My article and others as well as the efforts of Sefwi Chiefs and elders were the precursor to the creation of the Western North Region in 2019 by President Nana Akufo-Addo.

The Western North Region is made up of 3 Municipalities namely Sefwi Wiawso, Bibian-Ahwiaso-Bekwai and Aowin and 6 District Assemblies namely Bia East, Bia West, Bodi, Juabeso, Suaman and Sefwi Akontombra. The region has an area of 8,875 square kilometres with a population of 880,921 people (2021 Population and Housing Census). Western North Region which is made up of the Sefwi and Aowin tribes has a population larger than the Kwahus and Akwapims combined, larger than the Bonos in the Bono Region. Other groupings which are larger than Sefwi/Aowin are the Ashantis, Bonos (from Bono & Bono East), Voltararains (all tribes together) and Ga-Damgme (all together). The Akyems and the Wassas are a few thousand more than the Sefwi/Aowin people. Besides these 6 ethnic groupingss, the Sefwi/Aowins are more than any other ethnic group in Ghana. Yet, Western North Region or the Sefwi/Aowin grouping has been more neglected than any other grouping since our independence in 1957. Unfortunately and till date, the highest tertiary educational institutions in the region are the upgraded Sefwi Wiawso College of Education and the Enchi College of Education. I wonder if the Sefwi Wiawso Government Hospital has been upgraded to a regional hospital since 2019.

The Western North Region is rich in natural resources and contributes significantly to the national economy. Among other things, the region is rich in gold, bauxite, cocoa and timber. The region produces more food per hectare than any other region. Thanks to the region's cocoa production, Ghana receives millions of dollars in cocoa syndicate loans every year. But the region does not benefit from all these loans. Although Sefwi/Aowin (now Western North) has been the leading producer of cocoa beans in Ghana since 1984/85, but it has never been on the table to appoint Cocobod CEO or Board Chairman from persons from Western North area since PNDC era. I doubt if any has been appointed to the board. The region does not enjoy better roads, markets and housing to write home about. Yet, governments award millions of Cedis cocoa roads contracts to cronies. Although Western North boasts of rich natural resources and fertile land, yet most of the people living in the rural communities are poor. Because it is the government in Accra who decides the price of their cocoa.

In my July 2014 article, then part of the Western Region, I pointed out that the Sefwi/Aowin under the regional capital, Sekondi-Takoradi, have not received her fair share of regional development. I also complained about the neglect of all successive governments that gave people of Sefwi/Aowin descent juicy political appointments. According to Article 35 (6b) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, every government is required to achieve an appropriate regional and gender balance in its appointments. It is more or less mandatory for every President to appoint his ministers and deputies in such a way that all regions are covered and an appropriate number of women are also appointed.

If you measure the spatial distribution of political power by the regional distribution of cabinet ministers, deputy ministers and core political positions, Sefwi/Aowin has never been represented. A negative score index for the representation of the region’s politicians in positions of power is lower than one would expect in terms of their share of the national population. If you study the data further, it turns out that the current government favours mostly only two regions, namely Ashanti and Eastern, which are consistently over-represented in terms of the contribution of these regions to Ghana's economy.

You will recall that Dr Kwaku Afriyie is one of the founding fathers of the NPP in 1992. He was the First Vice-Chairman of the NPP. When President J.A. Kufuor came to power in 2000, he initially appointed Dr Kwaku Afriyie as Minister of Lands and Forestry, a post some of us felt was an insult to the people of Sefwi. It was not until another ministerial reshuffle in April 2003 that Dr Afriyie was appointed Minister of Health. In 2005, however, Dr Afriyie was again removed from the cabinet, but Mr. Christopher Addae was given a deputy ministerial appointment. So a Sefwi descend was not fit for a minister but a deputy.

Under the late President John Evans Atta Mills, no descend from Sefwi was appointed a minister. In most cases, the Ahwois were appointed to replace the Sefwis indigene. But the Ahwoi family is more Fante than Sefwi. And during President John Dramani Mahama's tenure, he used inter-regional selection to allocate ministerial positions. In the case of the Western Region, he appointed Mr. Akwasi Oppong Fosu from Amenfi East, Mr. Lee Tandoh Ocran from Jomorro and Mr. Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buad from Ellembelle as ministers, and two deputy ministers from the Sefwi enclave, namely Mr. Samson Ahi and Mr. Kwabena Akandor Mintah.

In the first term of President Nana Akufo-Addo, out of the 106 ministers and deputies (excluding regional ministers and deputies), only Mr Aboagye Gyedu was appointed deputy minister from the Sefwi/Aowin area. One can list Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng as minister from Sefwi. In fact, only a few knew him as someone whose maternal side is from Sefwi. When the Western North Region was created in 2019, Mr Aboagye Gyedu was moved to Regional Minister role for the newly created region. It was only after considerable public criticism that Dr Kwaku Afriyie (then former Western Region Minister) was appointed Minister of State at the State/Public Enterprise Commission – a non-cabinet ministerial post (Minister without Portfolio). It was only in the second term of President Nana Akufo-Addo that Dr Kwaku Afriyie was appointed Minister of Science and Technology to replace Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, making him a Cabinet rank Minister, albeit in a relatively powerless position as Minister of Science and Environment. On 14 February 2024, Dr Afriyie was removed from the government completely, making the Western North Region unrepresented from any ministerial position.

It is a fact that although the distribution of political power prescribed in our constitution involves the regions, the quality and quantity of representation in the individual regions varies greatly. Of particular importance to our subsequent analysis was the inclusion of the backward Western North in the governing coalitions on relatively unequal terms: While they were generally well represented in minor positions such as MPs, they were largely excluded from the more powerful positions in cabinet and big government. Someone will ask whether Sefwi/Aowin in Ghana were only meant to play second citizens? It must be emphasised that an important component of the patronage nature of Ghanaian politics mitigates the impact of political representation on equitable distribution of resources on a regional basis. It was clear years ago that the lack of political influence of Sefwi politicians in the various post-colonial regimes was the main obstacle to change in the development of the cocoa growing area in the Western Region. It is also a fact that Sefwi people have rarely been strongly represented in national politics, which means that there has been no leader in the past who has worked to redress the economic marginalisation of Sefwi people since the colonial era. It is also clear that it is important to improve the political representation and engagement of our leaders if we are to be successful in bringing about development change in the Western North.

It is a fact that, while the distribution of political power prescribed in our constitution about regional inclusivity, the quality and quantity of representation varied significantly among regions. What is of particular importance here for our subsequent analysis was the incorporation of the lagging Western North, into the governing coalitions on relatively inequitable terms. While at times we were generally well represented in insignificant positions like deputies, we were largely excluded from the more powerful positions in cabinet and the big government. Someone will ask if Sefwi/Aowin in Ghana were only meant to play the second citizens? It must be emphasis that an important component of the patronage-driven character of Ghanaian politics relates to the impact of political representation to mitigate fair distribution of resource allocation on regional basis.

Years ago, it was clear that the lack of political clout among the Sefwi politicians in various post-colonial regimes were the major barrier for developmental change in the cocoa growing part of the Western Region. It is also a fact that the Sefwians have rarely been strongly represented in national politics which means that historically there have been no leader championing the cause of redressing the economic marginalisation of Sefwinans since colonial times. It is also obvious that for Sefwians to be successful in bringing about developmental change in Western North, then it is important to improve the political representation and commitment of our leaders.

In the 70s and 80s you could hardly find more than two medical doctors, more than three lawyers or professors from Sefwi. Today, Sefwi can boast of having more young doctors, more engineers, more lawyers and judges, banking and finance professionals, high ranking security personnel, more professors, more senior nurses and teachers. We have educated traditional rulers and businessmen. Yes, we have the men and women, only partisan politics and distances have kept us apart. It is time for us to come together to create synergy instead of trying to be individualistic.

I will end here with question; could it one day happen that a Sefwian has the courage to run for President, or that a Sefwian becomes Chief Justice or an Inspector General of Police?

Written by,
Lewis Akrasi Addo (Gyapong)
Amsterdam
Email: [email protected]