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Mr Dan Botwe, Minister Designate for Regional Reorganisation and Development, has justified the proposal to create four more administrative regions in the national development drive.
Appearing before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Monday, the Minister Designate, who is also an MP for Okere in the Eastern Region, displayed a huge map of Ghana, to back the need to create more regions.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in the run-up to the 2016 election, promised the electorate that his Administration would create four more regions if elected, and the mantle fell on Mr Botwe, to represent him to execute the promise.
President Nana Akufo-Addo, then opposition leader and Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) said: “The four to be created are Western North out of the Western Region; Ahafo out of the Brong Ahafo Region, Oti out of the Volta Region, and a region to be created out of the eastern corridor.
Mr Botwe took the Committee through the various regions and their specific challenges, and promised to engage in wide consultations in the exercise in order to build consensus on the need for new regions.
“I feel I am lucky to be heading this ministry because it looks like there is a meeting of minds on this area. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) mentioned it in their manifesto and the NPP and the President also believe there is the need to create more regions, so we all agree with this,” he said.
Mr Botwe called on the ruling NPP and the Minority party, the NDC to reach consensus on the need to create more regions. In a related development, Madam Otiko Afisa Djaba, Minister Designate for Gender, Children and Social Protection, did not agree with a suggestion from the Committee to apologise to former President John Dramani Mahama over comments considered unsavoury attributed to her.
The nominee was emphatic to the committee that she owed the former president no apology. The nominee is reported to have made some scathing comments about former President Mahama in the line up to the 2016 general elections. However, the nominee said her comments were made without malice.
Asked if she would apologise for her comments, Madam Afisa Djaba said she had no apology to render.
