President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has congratulated locals in the soon to be created six regions who voted to endorse the move in last Thursday referenda.
For him, the “dignified, peaceful manner in which they exercised their franchise and constitutional right is commendable.
In a congratulatory message issued on Saturday, December 29, 2018, President Akufo-Addo said: “the will of the people determined the outcome of Thursday’s referenda.”
All six of the proposed regions have provisionally met the constitutional threshold to become fully fledged legally recognized regions.
Ghana will now have sixteen regions instead of the ten regions before the referendum.
The new regions are Bono East, Savannah, Western North, North East (YES. 99.8 percent), Ahafo ( YES – 99.67 percent) and Oti Regions.
About two million voters cast their vote overwhelmingly for the creation of the six new regions in Thursday’s historic referendum.
The constitution requires that at least 50% of the electorate show up for the election out of which 80% must vote YES to have the region created.
The reorganisation of the regions is a demand by members of the Volta, Oti; Brong Ahafo, Ahafo and Bono East; Northern, Savannah and North East and Western Regions, Western North, mostly aligned by article 5 of the 1992 constitution which imposed strict requirement on the creation of new regions, alteration of boundaries or the merger of two or more regions.
On August 15, 2017, the Council of State advised President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to appoint a Commission of Enquiry to look into the need to create six regions and make recommendations on all factors involved in the creation of the regions.
The commission, chaired by a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice S. A. Brobbey, was established pursuant to Article 5 of the 1992 Constitution and CI 105 and commenced work on November 21, 2017.
On June 27, 2018, it presented its report to President Akufo-Addo and recommended the creation of six new regions. The commission also recommended to the President that the referendum be limited to the proposed regions.
Read a copy of President Akufo-Addo’s full congratulatory message below:
29th December, 2018
CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE BY PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO ON THE RESULTS OF THE REFERENDA
On Thursday, 27th December, 2018, Ghanaians in some affected parts of the country turned out in their numbers to give virtually unanimous assent to the reorganisation of the nation’s regional governance structure, so as to bring Government closer to them, and, thereby, accelerate their socio-economic development.
This is the first time, in a constitutional era, that regions are being created under constitutional provisions. In each of the six affected areas, the threshold as stipulated in the Constitution for the creation of a region to succeed, i.e. at least 50% turnout of the registered electorate and at least 80% of votes cast in favour, was convincingly and spectacularly met.
The will of the people determined the outcome of Thursday’s referenda, and I congratulate the people in the soon to be created regions of Ahafo, Bono East, North East, Oti, Savannah and Western North for the dignified, peaceful manner in which they exercised their franchise and constitutional right.
The new leadership of the Electoral Commission is to be commended for passing its first test by ensuring the holding of free, fair and transparent referenda. The security agencies and members of the media are also to be applauded for the invaluable roles played towards the success of this exercise.
I thank the members of the Brobbey Commission, led by the noted jurist, Mr. Justice S.A. Brobbey, a retired member of the Supreme Court, for the thorough and painstaking work the Commission did, which resulted in the recommendations that received overwhelming, popular endorsement.
The Ghanaian people, by this singular process, have again demonstrated to the world their deep attachment to the principles of democratic accountability and the rule of law.
It is a harbinger of that national transformation into the free, open, democratic state that is at the core of our national aspiration for freedom and justice.
We are chartering new paths in the growth and development of our country, and I am confident that, together, we will put our nation onto the path of progress and prosperity.
As we enter a new year, let me, again, wish all the people of Ghana a happy and prosperous 2019. May God bless us all, and our homeland Ghana, and make her great and strong.
……signed……
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
President of the Republic
