JUSTIFICATION FOR THE CREATION OF THE VOLTA NORTH (OTI) REGION

 

JUSTIFICATION FOR THE CREATION OF THE VOLTA NORTH (OTI) REGION 

…A Must Read Piece…

Iddi Muhayu-Deen writes…

There exists, more than enough justification and compelling reasons for the creation of the Volta north region. In this compilation, I wish to let you into these watertight justifications with the hope and confidence that, in the final analysis, you would get convinced and possibly throw your unwavering support for this worthy cause. I am doing this in my capacity as an indigene of Volta north (Kete-Krachi, which is my hometown). I am also the spokesperson of the concerned youth of northern Volta, a youth group dedicated to championing this cause. Now, come with me:

We all know that the Volta region is the longest region in the country stretching all the way from the sea to the northern part of the country, where it terminates. Again, the regional capital (Ho) is situated in the southern part of the region. What this means is that, if you are from the northmost part of the region and you are to ‘transact business’ in the regional capital or the southern part, it may take you some 13 hours or more to get there. Yes, you heard me right. How on earth!

So, assuming you are a government worker and you are supposed to process your documents at the regional coordinating council or the relevant regional offices, which are of course, situated at the regional capital (Ho), you are surely going to exhaust an entire working day in transit. And when you get there eventually, there is absolutely no way you would be able to finish your agenda within 2 or 3 working days because of the inherent bureaucracy that is symptomatic of our public service system.

This is surely disconcerting, counterproductive and for that matter unacceptable. You can also imagine what may be happening to sick persons on referral from the northmost part of the region to the regional hospital for medical care. This is the kind of social and economic injustice that we, in northern Volta have been enduring over decades, yet, nobody seems to care. Very shameful to say the least.

Another compelling reason why northern Volta has to be given a regional status has to do with the apologetic state of infrastructure development in that part of town. If you visited Volta north today, you would shudder to think that you were in Ghana because of the ugly spectacle of underdevelopment that would greet you. Our roads are highly ‘immotorable’ and that explains why we spend more hours travelling from Volta north to the regional capital (Ho) than travelling from Accra to Tamale. We also do not have dignifying social amenities like standard health and education infrastructure to make our lives better. Surely, our narrative couldn’t have been worse than this.    

It is therefore not surprising that for the past 3 decades, our revered chiefs have led and continue to lead us in a worthwhile struggle to mount pressure on the State and successive governments to grant us a regional status. The Rawlings government couldn’t grant us this innocuous wish of ours. The Kufour government couldn’t grant us. The Mills government couldn’t grant us. The Mahama government couldn’t grant us either.

So, in the run-up to the 2016 elections, when our chiefs reiterated this appeal, both candidate Mahama of the NDC and Nana Akufo-Addo of the NPP promised that if they won the general elections, they would see to the creation of the Volta north region, to be called Oti Region ostensibly because these flagbearers were convinced by the strong arguments advanced by our chiefs and opinion leaders.  

I therefore do not understand why some people who are obviously not from Volta north but elsewhere in the region and beyond, should be kicking against moves by the Akufo-Addo government to create the Volta north region in fulfillment of the President’s campaign pledge and more importantly, in pursuance to the justified arguments advanced for this purpose. Are the people of Volta north not deserving of living a more dignified life?

If so, then why this needless controversy? I’m not sure we would have been hearing this brouhaha by way of opposition to the creation of the Volta north region by some “southern voltarians” in particular, if this was being done by an NDC government. Maybe I am wrong. Maybe I am right. What at all is our offence, people of Ghana? Are we demanding for a rocket science from the State? Our civil servants are greatly disadvantaged. Our businesses are collapsing. Life is becoming unbearable for us. Our sick people are dying and you still expect us to keep quiet? Aba!

The day I stop talking about this issue is the day I die. And when I die, I know posterity would judge me positively. When the history of Volta north is told the next generations, it would be said that there ever lived one Iddi Muhayu-Deen, who stood his grounds against all odds and fought for his people until his demise. It would also be said that His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo did everything possible to grant the people of Volta north their agelong wish.   

I will talk and talk and talk until my people are liberated. My parents did not send me to school to be a coward and one who would keep quiet when I see my people eating, drinking, breathing and experiencing untold hardships. Remember that, society suffers because of the loud silence of those who should have spoken when it mattered most and because of the inactions of those who should have acted.

Before I conclude, let me remind you that there are two key condition precedence for splitting a region. They include socio-cultural issues and matters involving boundary limitations and delimitations. Currently, the Volta region is arguably, the only region in the country that has met these criteria. The demography and socio-cultural differences of the region are very clear, with the northern Volta being occupied mainly by Guans (consisting of Akans, Krachis, Ntrubus, Nchumurus, Akrobus, Gonjas, Adajes, Nanjuri's, Adeles and Atwodes) whereas the southern Volta is mainly occupied by Ewes.

Population size is not really fundamental in this consideration, else, the greater Accra region would have been split 5 times before any other region including the former Upper Region, would be considered for this purpose. Like today, we would not be talking about Upper East and Upper West region. Our critics say, instead of calling for the creation of Volta north region, we should rather focus our attention on mounting pressure on central government to develop our area. My quick response to them is that, we have done that for more than 49 years but to no avail hence we are compelled to adopt a new paradigm.  

You would in the light of the foregoing, agree with me that, if there is only one region in Ghana that has to be split, then surely it is the Volta region. The Minister for regional reorganization doesn’t have to do much in the Volta region regarding the creation of the Volta north region unlike in other regions.

Well, the Chiefs and people of Volta north have spoken. I, the son of Volta north, have spoken. Some discerning Ghanaians have spoken and are still speaking. Yet, some of the people who say they abhor social and economic injustice, have their voice conspicuously missing in this narrative. How inexplicable! Fellow countrymen and women, I humbly invite you to rise up and stand in solidarity with the good people of Volta north. Let’s all get involved in this worthy cause for the love of God; for the love of humanity and for the love of country.

Assalamu alaikum

Iddi Muhayu-Deen

That Kete-Krachi boy

(0245335197)

 Free to share…….