Provide Us With The Necessary Resources To Ensure Development - Ahafo Residents To Gov’t

Residents in the area earmarked to become the Ahafo region are calling on the government to provide them with the necessary resources to ensure development once processes leading to its regional status are finalized.This was after a massive voter turnout in favour of the creation of the Ahafo region out of Brong Ahafo region during Thursday’s referendum.

Yesterday's referendum recorded over 80% of registered voters turning out to vote, with 99.68% of the voters endorsing the move for creation of the new region.

Some residents in an interview with Citi News' Edward Oppong Marfo have urged the government to support them with the necessary resources to ensure development in the area.

“I think the government should pump in money in areas that the new region lacks, to enable the region to develop adequately,” one resident said.

“Now that we have the new Ahafo region, we are expecting the government to fix the roads, we need the government to build a hospital for us, we also expect the government to provide a tertiary institution for the new region,” another resident said.

According to the regulations of the Electoral Commission , an endorsement for the creation of a new region can only be secured if at least 50 percent of the total number of eligible voters in the concerned area turn up to cast their ballot and 80 percent of that number vote in favour of the creation of the region.

Breakdown of Ahafo Region votes

The area made up of some six municipalities and districts; namely Tano South Municipality, Tano North Municipality, Asunafo North District, Asunafo South District, Asutifi North District, Asutifi South District expected a total of 307,341 voters, however, only 277,663 eligible voters turned up to vote.

Of that number, 277,438 voted for the creation of the new region while 225 voted against it.

This per the Electoral Commission's guidelines indicates a massive endorsement for the creation of the new region.

Ahead of the declaration of the official results, the Omanhene of the Bechem Traditional area in the Tano South Municipality, Nana Fosu Gyeabour Akoto II who campaigned for the creation of the Ahafo Region called on the government to choose areas with more social amenities as regional capitals.

He urged the government to make necessary consultation before selecting regional capitals after the referendum in order to ensure peace in the area.

Source:citinewsroom.com | Ghana