A group calling itself ‘Coalition of Volta Youths’ took to the streets of Ho, the Volta Regional capital, on Wednesday to protest against plans of carving a new region, out of the existing Volta Region.
[ads1]The protesters who were clad in red and black, and lifting placards with inscriptions such “Do we still have chiefs in Volta?” “Stop behaving like crocodiles” and “Stop acting like cowards Volta chiefs”, as “United we stand, divided we fall”, “don’t insult our intelligence Mr…”, “Don’t take our tolerance for weakness” argued that the motive behind the creation of the region is invalid noting that what the region needs is development and not division.
According to the Chairman of the group, Simon Kofi Ohene, the government needs to enhance decentralization policy and not to divide the region. He said the group is against the division of the region and the other regions in the country that has been earmarked to be divided. He noted that development cannot be achieved with the division.
Mr. Ohene indicated that it is not about dividing people that will enhance development but using current technological development concept. He revealed that there is much burden on the public purse in terms of public sector wages as such creating new regions will mean an increase in administrative offices and staff, as a result, there will be more demand on the public purse. He explained that the creating of new regions will not bring an increase in revenue collection and productivity.
He said the government should be committed and focus more on enhancing decentralization rather than making development being solely the duty of the central government. Mr. Ohene was of the view that giving an autonomous status to the District, Municipal and Metropolitan Assemblies because they are closer to the people is the way to go. He believes entrenchment of the decentralization policy will be the way forward.
Simon Kofi Ohene said it has come to their notice that, the division of the regions is based on tribal and ethnic lines which is a recipe for chaos and disaster. He said the creating of new regions is going to cause division within the country indicating that even corporate bodies are merging their entities to create unity and become efficient. He advised the government to follow same instead of focusing on creating new regions.
He revealed that the group will not accept any attempt to create another region from the existing region.
The Coalition of Volta Youths has therefore given the chiefs of the region a two weeks ultimatum to act on the issue as custodians of the land or face their wrath. He warned that “should the government continue with its plans, then we will also demand that parts of the Volta Regions which were carved out and added to other regions be brought back to the existing Volta Region.”
A petition was later presented to the Regional Minister Dr. Archibald Letsa at the Regional Coordinating Council.
Source: AwakeAfrica.com
