Creating New Regions Does Is No Guarantee For Development

This week, the Council of State has formally informed the president of the “substantial need” for new regions to be created. The council was making its formal presentation on a petition that has been forwarded to it by the president. 

The ruling NPP campaigned on the topic during the 2016 elections, for which reason the president establish an entire ministry, Ministry of Regional Re-Organisation and Development to oversee the process.

The president will now proceed to establish a Commission of Enquiry to look into the merits of establishing new regions. 

A referendum shall then be held for the people affected by the matter to vote on. The constitutional requirement is for 50% of the electorates to vote, out of which 80% should give approval in order for a new region to be created. Quite clearly, there is still some way to go.

The primary reason for which new regions (possibly six) is being touted is for the sake of development: this assertion is highly laughable. There is nowhere on earth that development is brought about by drawing imaginary lines. 

Demarcating lands into boundaries does not suddenly close the huge infrastructural deficits in the nation; it does not automatically produce a first class transportation system; it does not build industries; it does not grow agriculture; it does not eliminate corruption; it does not birth a strong health and educational sector; and it certainly does not create jobs.

The idea that new regions bring development is a big misconception brought about due to sentiments. People want to see their capital cities close to them. They want to share the same region with persons of common heritage.

Ghanaians desire development, but to reach that development, we have conceptualise the wrong means-creation of new regions. 

It makes sense why claim we vote for development, yet nothing changes. We keep using the wrong metric.