He has, therefore, called on Ghanaians to see the creation of the new regions as a means to facilitate development and bring governance closer to the people and also to ensure that resources are equitably distributed.

Mr Botwe said this at a workshop organised by the Northern Regional House of Chiefs, in collaboration with the Ministry of Regional Reorganisation and Development and the Herbert Adeneur Foundation in Tamale last Tuesday.

The government has planned to create new regions out of the Northern, Brong Ahafo, Western and Volta regions.

Appeal to chiefs

Mr Botwe, therefore, appealed to chiefs in the Northern Region to see the proposed creation of a new region as a measure to facilitate development and not for political gains.

He said the Northern Region was vast and needed at least one or more regions out of the existing one to bring governance and development closer to the people.

He said at independence, Ghana had only five regions, which increased to 10 in 1983 with the creation of the Upper West from the Upper Region.

He said after 34 years, many Ghanaians, including academicians, proposed the creation of an additional region from the current region to pave the way for development.

He disclosed that the Northern Region had a population of over 2.4 million people according to the 2010 National Population and Housing Census and with an annual increase rate of 2.9 per cent, the region now has a population of 2.9 million.

He added that the creation of a region had been spelt out in the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

Increment of salaries

The Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mr Kofi Dzamesi, disclosed that the government had increased the monthly allowances paid to paramount chiefs and queenmothers.

He said by this increment, paramount chiefs would now receive GH¢1,000 instead of the previous GH¢800 while queenmothers would also take home GH¢500 instead of the GH¢350 they received previously.

He stated that the increment, which has already taken effect, was based on a condition that chieftaincy conflicts would be reduced. 

Mr Dzamesi expressed concern about the number of chieftaincy cases in the country and called on the various Regional Houses of Chiefs and the National House of Chiefs to help resolve them to speed up development.

He appealed to chiefs and the people to draw a line between chieftaincy issues and criminal activities, adding that most of the conflicts were criminal and perpetrators should be punished for their actions. 

The minister also entreated the chiefs to support the minister of Regional Reorganisation and Development to ensure that he succeeds.

Peace

The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Salifu Sa-eed, expressed the need for all to support efforts to promote peace in the region to ensure development.

The Paramount Chief of the Kpembe Traditional Area, Kpembewura, Dari  Bismark Haruna, who chaired the meeting on behalf of the President of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs, Yagbonwura Tumtumba  Boresa, expressed the desire of the chiefs in the region for a new region to be created out of the Northern Region.

He also urged the government to work hard to fulfil its electoral promises to the people.