The Council of State has given the green light to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to constitute a commission of enquiry to come out with the modalities for the creation of more regions in the country.
At a meeting with the President at the Flagstaff House on Tuesday, the Chairman of the council, Nana Otuo Siriboe II, said: “Mr President, the Council of State has the honour to inform you that, having studied the petitions submitted and the detailed briefing by the Minister for Regional Re-organisation and Development, it is of the unanimous opinion that there is a substantial demand for the creation of new regions.
“The council, therefore, advises that Your Excellency appoint a Commission of Enquiry to enquire into the need and make recommendations on all the factors involved in the creation of the new regions.”
Request
In June this year, President Nana Akufo-Addo sent a request to the Council of State seeking its advice on the creation of new regions.
Enclosed in the President’s communication were copies of petitions from the chiefs and the people of the Western, Northern, Brong Ahafo and Volta regions from where the demand for the creation of new regions had been the loudest.
Nana Siriboe said the Council of State had meticulously gone through those petitions, which numbered some 312 pages, with accompanying maps and statistical data.
He said the council was also briefed by the Minister for Regional Reorganisation and Development, Mr Dan Kwaku Botwe, on his interactions with the chiefs and people of the four regions.
He said Mr Botwe did impress the council with the elaborate homework he had done on the exercise, including the extensive literature review on Ghana’s geo-political structure.
Functions and powers of the Council of State
One other issue which was raised by the Council of the State at its meeting with the President was in respect of the constitutional provisions that set out the functions of the council.
Under Article 91, Clause 3 of the 1992 Constitution, Nana Siriboe said, the Council of State might, upon request or on its own initiative, make recommendations on any matter being considered by Parliament and other organs of the State.
However, Nana Siriboe said since the inception of the Fourth Republic some 25 years ago, there had not been any formal structures to give depth and breadth to that constitutional provision.
To remedy that situation, and particularly to afford the Council of State the opportunity to contribute to bills being considered by Parliament, he said the Legal, Constitutional and Petitions Sub-committee of the council had an initial meeting with the Speaker and the leadership of Parliament to discuss processes to be laid down to ensure a harmonious working relationship between the council and Parliament.
He said judging from the desire of the Speaker and the leadership of Parliament to establish that linkage, the council confidently looked forward to avenues for the two important state institutions to work closely together.
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