Amenfi youth protest against decision to exclude them from Western North Region

The Amenfi Youth Movement for Western North have demonstrated to register their displeasure against the decision by the government to exclude them from being part of Western North Region.

According to the group, the Paramount Chief of the area, Tetrete Okuamoah Sekyim II append his signature to the petition that was presented to the president demanding the creation of the Western North Region because the three Amenfi Districts were initially part of the new Region to be created.

They expressed fear that the youth, business organisations and people including civil and public servants would be enticed to relocate to the western north due to proximity and opportunities the new region will be getting should their petition be turned down and the three Amenfi Districts forced to remain in Western south; a situation that has the potential to create man power shortages in the area.

The youth began the Demonstration form the Asankragwa Nursing and Midwife Training School junction and marched through the principal streets of Asankragwa and ended the peaceful demonstration at the community park.

The group also presented a petition to the Municipal Chief Executive Officer of Amenfi West to be delivered to the President Nana Akufo-Addo.

The creation of the proposed new six Regions in the country rest on the affected districts who submitted petitions and made demands to the presidency for the creation of new regions.

The Constitution stipulates that once the President receive a petition for the creation of the Region, he must forward it to the Council of State for advice.

The Council of State upon receiving the petition from the president would advice the president if the demands by the petitioners was substantial or not.

The Constitution also states that once the Council of State gives the President a positive response, the president would have to establish a Commission of Enquiry to go into the areas which have requested for the creation of new Region to establish if indeed there is a substantial demand in their request.

The creation of six new Regions is a campaign promise made by Nana Akufo-Addo led NPP during the 2016 campaign tour.

In accordance with Article 5(2) of the Constitution the president appointed a Commission of Enquiry to enquire into the demands and make recommendations on all the factors involved in the creation and alteration of the new region.

Latter part of June this year, the Justice Brobbey nine- member Commission of Enquiry set by president Nana Akufo-Addo to investigate the need for the creation of new Regions recommended to him, the creation of six new Regions.

The Regions to be created include Oti region (Volta region), Ahafo region (Brong-Ahafo), Bono East (Brong-Ahafo), and Western North region (Western Region). The rest are North East region (Northern Region) and Savannah region (Northern Region).

The demonstrators were clad in a red attire holding play cards some of which read; We are fed up Southern Marginalisation, The new region will promote rural development in Amenfi, We shall not loose our lands and traditions, Joining the new region is our political right, We can't continue to serve the people of Takoradi among others.

The Divisional Chief of Sompre in the Amenfi Central Nana Sasraku Gyimah II explained how the three Amenfi districts contributed to the creation of the Western North region.

He appealed to the president to fulfill the promise made to the people of Amenfiman by giving them the new region during his 2016 electioneering campaign.

Former District Chief Executive of Wassa Amenfi Samuel Alberto Tekyi mentioned some of the benefits the three Amenfi districts will have when include in the western north region.

The District Chief Executive of the Amenfi West Municipal Assembly, George Agyiri after receiving the petition promised the petitioners to send the petition to the president.

Source: Mathew Dadzie