Asante Akim chiefs want 45 constituencies created

Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, EC boss

 From Ernest Best Anane, Agogo-Ashanti

The chiefs and the people of Asante Akim North have cautioned the government against the removal of C.I. 78, which the Electoral Commission has laid before Parliament for approval for the creation of an additional 45 new constituencies.

Various organisations, institutions, the clergy and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) have raised concerns regarding the timing for the creation of the new constituencies, but the chiefs say contrary.

'We, as nananom and opinion leaders, would like to state that any move by the Electoral Commission to stop or withdraw the C.I. 78 from Parliament will affect the newly-created districts, since one Member of Parliament cannot serve the purpose of two districts,' explaining that the creation of the constituencies has to do with development, and nothing to do with timing they stressed.

According to Nana Frimpong Bediako, Krontihene, who addressed a press conference on behalf nananom and opinion leaders at Agogo, the capital town of the newly-created Asante Akin North district, they acknowledged the ongoing creation of new constituencies by the Electoral Commission.

He said the new district constituted 22 electoral areas out of the forty-seven electoral areas of the Municipality, comprising the Oweriman, Amanteman and Agogo-Afram plains, which, he said, had virtually seen no development, due to the remote nature of the area.

The Krontihene expressed the conviction that with the creation of the new districts, the needed attention would be given to the area to enhance the rapid development of the entire district, and urged the EC to go ahead with the creation of the new constituencies, in line with its constitutional mandate to ensure the development of the area.

He said as development-oriented leaders, they would support and encourage the EC to enforce its constitutional mandate, and not give in to any individual or group of individuals who are bent on frustrating the Commission in carrying out its constitutional mandate, as spelt out in the Constitution.

Nana Frimpong Bediako emphasised that any attempt or effort to stop the ongoing process for them to access development projects would be resisted.

They called on all people of newly-created constituencies to see reason with them, and prevail upon the EC to stand firm on the role assigned to it by the Constitution, or advise themselves.

The chiefs also appealed to Parliament to take the necessary steps to bring into fruition the passage of the C.I. 78 into law.