The youth of the Asogli State in collaboration with the Coalition of Volta Youth yesterday demonstrated against plans by the government to carve out a new region out of the Volta Region.
The demonstrators, wearing warriors’ attires marched through the streets of the regional capital and made a brief stop- over at the Asogli Palace at Ho-Bankoe.
They presented their petition to Togbe Howusu XII, Awafiaga of Asogli, before continuing to the Regional Volta Coordinating Council (VRCC) where a copy of the petition was received by the Regional Coordinating Director, Mr Felix B. Chaahaah, on behalf of the Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa, who was away on an official duty.
At the Asogli Palace, a spokesman of the demonstrators, Simon Kofi Ohene, gave the chiefs a 14-day ultimatum to declare their stance on the issue of dividing the region into two.
The eight-point petition, read in part, that the creation of an additional region was not a requirement for development since there were administrative regions and territories much larger than the Volta Region.
Furthermore, the petition stated that “the creation of new regions and districts continuously fragments the country along ethnic and tribal lines which does not promote peace and harmony but rather leads to mistrust and disunity among the people”.
On his part, Togbe Howusu, who is also the Dufia of Ho-Dome said that if the government had plans to divide the region, then it was duty-bound to consult the chiefs of the entire region over the issue and not just chiefs from certain areas of the region.
“The chiefs of southern Volta have not been consulted by government over any such plan and so we cannot give it out backing,” he affirmed.
The Awafiaga of Asogli maintained that there was no need to divide Volta Region before implementing development projects in the area.
“Funds for re-demarcating the region can be used now to start new development projects in the region,” Togbe Howusu added.
He cited the dual highway project from Sokode to Ho among other development projects in the region, which the current government promised to continue, but had now abandoned and sought to know how the division of the region could facilitate development in the region.
Togbe Howusu commended the youth for carrying out the demonstration in peaceful manner and readily standing up to defend the good of the Volta Region.
At the VRCC courtyard, Mr Chaahaah assured the demonstrators that the petition would reach the regional minister in good time.
Some of the placards carried by the demonstrators read: ‘One Volta One People’, ‘Volta Is Not on Sale’ and ‘Volta Needs Development and not Division’, among others.
Source: Ghanaian Times
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I HOPE THE NORTH VOLTA WILL WISE UP AND REALISE HOW MUCH SOME IN THE SOUTH HATE THEIR WELFARE AND WOULD DO ANYTHING TO ATTACK THE INTEREST OF THE NORTH. APART FROM DOMINATION AND EXPLOITATION OF THE NORTH WHAT WOULD THE SOUTH LOOSE IF THE NORTH IS CREATED AS A REGION? AND IF THE SOUTH VOLTA JUST WANT TO OPPOSE NORTH VOLTA REGION SO THAT THEY CAN DOMINATE AND EXPLOIT THE NORTH THEN IT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND AGAINST THE SPIRIT OF GHANA AS AN INDEPENDENT NATIONS. THE NATIONAL ANTHEM INSPIRES ALL GHANAIANS TO BE BOLD TO DEFEND FOREVER THE COURSE OF FREEDOM AND RIGHT NOT ONLY FOR THE NATION BUT ALSO FOR GROUPS OF PEOPLE AS WELL AS INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE NATION. TRULY, THE MOVE TO CREATE NEW REGIONS IS REVEALING THE HIDDEN WICKEDNESS AND EXPLOITATION OF CERTAIN GROUPS IN GHANA. WE MUST NEVER AGAIN AS A NATION SIT UNCONCERNED FOR SUCH SELFISH AND GREEDY EXPLOITATION.
NORTH VOLTA DOES NOT NEED A PERMISSION OF THE SOUTH VOLTA IN ORDER TO CLAIM THE AUTONOMY. EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD REFERENDUM FOR AUTONOMY IS CARRIED OUT ONLY IN THE REGIONS THAT SEEK TO BE SEPARATED FROM OR INCLUDED TO THE EXISTING REGION OR NATION. WE HAVE EXAMPLES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, SCOTLAND FROM UK, SOUTHERN SUDAN FROM SUDAN, EAST TIMOR FROM INDONESIA, ERITREA FROM ETHIOPIA AND SO MANY OTHERS. IT IS NEVER THE CASE THAT ANY PART OF THE REGION RETAINED OR ALREADY WITH THE OLD LOCATION IS MADE TO BE PART OF THE REFERENDUM. HOW COULD SOUTHERN SUDAN OR EAST TIMOR COULD HAVE BECOME INDEPENDENT IF THE NON AFFECTED REGIONS HAD BEEN INCLUDED IN THE REFERENDUM. THIS CASE TO ME HAS NO MERIT WHATSOEVER. I CANNOT EVEN UNDERSTAND HOW SOME INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS IN SOUTHERN VOLTA HAVE BECOME OPPOSED TO THE PROPOSED REGION FOR THE NORTH. WHILE BRONG AHAFO AND NORTHERN REGIONS ARE EVEN LOOKING FOR MORE NEW REGIONS TO SPREAD DEVELOPMENT TO THE PERIPHERAL SOME IN VOLTA REGION HAVE BECOME OBSTRUCTION TO THE PROCESS. THEY SEEMED TO BE HAPPY THAT THE NORTHERN PART OF THE REGION HAS BECOME SO UNDEVELOPED. THIS ATTITUDE OF SOME IN THE SOUTH RATHER SUPPORT THE VIEWS OF THOSE IN THE NORTH THAT THEIR AREA WAS NEGLECTED BY THE SOUTHERNERS WHO MOSTLY HAD EASY ACCESS TO ESTABLISHED INSTITUTIONS. NORTHERN VOLTA THEREFORE NEEDS NO PERMISSION FROM SOME IMPORTED YOUTH FROM SOMEWHERE, NOR DISGRUNTLED ELDERS OF ANY CATEGORY IN ORDER TO DEMAND FOR A NEW REGION FOR THEMSELVES. IT WAS NOT FOR NOTHING THAT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH GAVE THEM THE JASIKAN DIOCESE, WHICH TO A GREATER EXTENT HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE FAITH AND THE WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE IN THAT REGION. SHAME TO ALL AGAINST.
You see how selfish Togbe Howusu is. He mentioned developmental project and he was quick to mention Ho-Sokode road without a word of developmental concerning the northern-volta side. If you the South have been hindered development how much more the North. The region must be divided now!!!
The people who petitioned for the creation of a new region did not come unto the streets to demonstrate to the whole world before submitting their petition, so what is your point?
Please educate me further. How does the creation of a new Region in the Volta Tegion affect or disrupt development in the Southern Volta. What does it take away from Southern Volta that the proposed Otu Region doesn’t deserve? Please come again.
Waste of precious energy and resources. Go and read the constitution and be abreast with times. Is the new region part of your land? If you don't know, it is the people from the catchment area who can decide , YES or NO. You are just being deceived by someone. Even if you go to court, which is the right thing to do, you will lose your case miserably. WISE UP!