'Gov't Consulted Widely On Choice Of Capitals For New Regions' – Dan Botwe

There is no point in explaining why specific areas in the newly created regions were selected as capitals at the expense of others. This is the view of the Minister for Regional Reorganization and Development, Dan Botwe.

According to him, he is not interested in knowing exactly why the selected capitals for the new regions were created since it is the sole prerogative of the president.

“We consulted widely but it does not mean that you go and talk to every single individual… There should be a reason why Mr. President chose the capital… I don’t need to know, and I’m not very much interested in that. Mr. President will ask our views, and he will ask the views of other people and he takes the decision… I don’t see the point, at all [in explaining it],” he told Citi TV‘s Point of View host, Bernard Avle on Wednesday.

Owing to the anxiety and high expectations of which areas are to be named regional capitals, some have suggested that the government provides some explanation as to why specific areas were selected to be capitals.

The naming of the regional capitals for the new regions has become a controversial subject as jostling for the capital by various towns in the new regions started many months ago.

Areas such as Salaga and Nkoranza have expressed their displeasure in not being named regional capitals for the Savannah and Bono East regions respectively.

In Salaga, irate youth expressed their displeasure by burning down the governing New Patriotic Party's (NPP) constituency office in the area and destroyed billboards of the party.

Like other aggrieved areas, they said they fear development may be centered in just the areas named as regional capitals.

But Dan Botwe has given assurances that development will be spread across the new regions and will not be centered in just the new capitals.

He said the government is working hard to ensure that development, which is a key basis for the push for the creation of the new regions is seen in those areas.

For the Ahafo Region, the capital as announced by President Akufo-Addo is Gaoso.

Techiman and Nalerigu have been named as capitals for the Bono East and North East regions respectively, while Damango has been named as capital for the Savannah region.

Source: citinewsroom.com | Ghana