Dispute over V/R district capital- Committee to investigate circumstances

The Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) on Monday inaugurated a six-member committee to probe circumstances that stalled the launch of the newly created Biakoye district in the Volta Region.

Mr Justice Elliot Adjabeng a retired Supreme Court Judge is the chairman of the committee, which is expected to make recommendations to resolve the issue to facilitate the inauguration of the district as early as possible.

The committee, which is to submit a report within four weeks, is also to determine the merits or demerits of locating the capital at Nkonya-Ahenkro.

Additionally it would determine the merit or demerit of the call to re-site the capital elsewhere and make recommendations to "ensure a peaceful co-existence of the traditional communities making up the district".

Other committee members are Rt. Rev Bishop Adanuti, Catholic Bishop of the Keta-Akatsi Diocese, Togbega Gbogbolulu, Paramount Chief of the Vakpo Traditional Area, Nana Odam Siaw, chief of Nsuta-Buem, Mrs Felicia Otchere-Darko, Chief State Attorney, Volta Region and Mr George Ahiable a Public Opinion Leader.

Mr Atsu E. Gidiglo, a Deputy Director of the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) is a Member Secretary.

Mr Samuel Kofi Dzamesi, Volta Regional Minister, who performed the inauguration, observed that it was the second time a section within a new district in the region had stopped it from commencing work on schedule.

"This is negatively impacting on the overall socio-economic development and the progress of the country," he stated.

He said government loathed delays in development issues and therefore set up the committee to speedily resolve the matter for the take-off the district, which was among three new districts named for the Volta Region.

The blockade of roads leading to Nkonya-Ahenkro, the proposed capital by a section of the people opposed to locating the capital there and a court injunction forced authorities to cancel the inauguration ceremony, slated for February 29, this year.

Mr Dzamesi said the situation was regrettable "because whereas the new districts have started work in earnest, the Biakoye District has been engulfed in a controversy as to where the capital of the district should be".

Alevle Yaw Okuagbe II, Adontenhene of the Akposokubi said his group was twice attacked that day on their way to Nkonya-Ahenkro and had to abandon the journey.

Mr Bernard Dery, Volta Regional Police Commander said the police would not tolerate any attacks on the committee members when they travelled through the proposed district to seek views from the people.

Mr Justice Adjabeng pledged that the committee would act expeditiously to resolve the issue and for all the members, work on the committee was "a call to duty that they could not shirk".

Ethnic groups making Biakoye, include Akans at Worawora, Apesos, Akposos, Tapas and the Bowiris.