Statement: Concerned Volta Youth Against The Splitting Of Volta Region

The Concerned Volta Youth appreciates the concerns and the support from fellow voltarians both home and abroad on our first press statement. We won't respond to the immature and premature statement from unscrupulous individuals that wish us evil.

We wish to advice those issuing the threats to put an end to it because that won't stop us a bit. We want to put it on record that, the Concerned Volta Youth is not politically affiliated nor being sponsored by a political party. We are the youth from the Volta region fighting for one course and that's development. And we wish to outline reasons why we are against the splitting of the Volta region.

The Concerned Volta Youth is totally against the splitting of our dear *HOME* due to the following reasons...

1.Flawed inaccessibility Claim:
Our Northern brothers in their argument claims inaccessibility to Ho the regional capital from some district capitals for official duties necessitated the move for a petition to be sent.

But we would like to ask, at this day and age where technology is taking the center stage in our governance process wouldn’t it be more prudent to decentralize governance more at the local level than creating another region which alone comes at a cost of which could be used to invest in more physical infrastructure projects in the region? What they are forgetting is the regional capital was first at Keta which was later moved to Ho, and can also be moved to another place close to the Northern Volta which will promote unity and developments than the division. What the region needs now is a railway network system from Northern Volta to Southern Volta which will make conveying of goods easier and faster.

2. Education:
Southern Volta has only 2 tertiaries - Akatsi College of education and Keta Health Assistant School. But Volta North, starting from Krachi has about 7 tertiaries - Krachi Midwifery, Dambai College of Education, Jasikan College of education, Hohoe Midwifery, Hohoe UHAS for School of Health, St Francis College of education and St Theresa College of Education.

Again, Senior high schools in Volta north receive proportionately high government scholarships than schools in the South. The scholarships include Northern extraction scholarship, hardship getfund scholarships and cocoboard scholarships. Frankly, while about 1500 students in Nkwanta SHS, 1000 students in Bueman SHS at Jasikan, 1300 at Krachi SHS, 1500 at Kadjebi could be on hardship and northern scholarships, only 50 students will be on brilliant but needy scholarship in each of the southern schools. So what exactly are our dear brothers complaining about? We expect much more from our dear brothers than the splitting they are calling for.

3.Development:
We also state emphatically that the creation of a region do not necessarily propel development but rather adds extra cost to the governance structure. That is, you will have a situation where another extra regional administrative staffs will have to be paid, equipped and housed by the state, which comes at an extra cost.

Moreover the constitution do not require that there should be any statutory funds set aside for regions for development but rather such provisions are there for the respective MMDA’s ,therefore rather than concentrating on the creation of a region why don’t we pay more attention to the MMDA’s to make them more efficient to deliver. Can't the resources that will be used for the creation of the region be channelled to the development of the Northern Volta? Is the division or separation among two brothers bring development?

4.Transportation:
The eastern corridor road
the construction of portions of that road in the region links us to other regions and we should explore it as a means to develop by making sure food produced for example in Nkwanta area in the northern part are brought down to the south to benefit the people and increase trade in that part of the region. We must also come together and fight for a railway network system from Northern Volta to Southern Volta to make conveying of goods easier and faster.

To sum all up ,Governments after governments have deliberately failed the people of Volta region. The development of Volta region needs a committed government to allocate the national cake considering the lean and skinny child. We don’t want to believe “to whom much is given, less is expected”. This region has virtually produced most of the finest human resources Ghana has enjoyed over the years. Why the neglect?

Dividing Volta is not the sure way to go rather, resources should be channeled there to bring it at par with other regions.

Volta equally needs among other things like, the komenda sugar factory, oil exploration,a modern sports stadium,a cassava processing factory, a fish processing factory and a harbour,a tomatoes processing factory, good roads to aid transport of food stuffs etc.

The success of Volta region needs a political will and not mere wish. What benefit will the people of Volta region derive if a political party wish to separate the region into two and failed to give it the necessary resources to develop?

A new region can be created today but Volta will remain the same. Political parties and successive governments have taken the people of the Volta region for granted for far too long.

In conclusion, we would like to state emphatically that whether you are a Guan, Akan or Ewe in the Volta region,what we are all looking for from the government is development and not division. We have always been living together in harmony and forever we shall be. Therefore we shall continue to sensitize our people to make them understand that this myopic and callous idea of splitting the Volta region all in the of championing development is further going to disintegrate us. And as a youth in whom the future will later be handed over to, we won’t allow any politician with their parochial political interest to destroy us. All we need is development and not division.

Thank you.
Long Live Concerned Volta Youth!
Long Live Mother Volta!
Long Live Ghana!
....signed.....
Jean-Claude Koku Amenyaglo (Convener, 0249753006/0555757676)

Sessi Dela Renney (Press Secretary, 0244140272)