A proposal by some chiefs of the Volta region urging the government to split the region into two is receiving cabinet attention, the Statesman has reported.
Chiefs from the Northern part of the region are reported to have petitioned the government in 2002 to split the region into two and requested for the second to be named Oti region.
According to the paper, the petition by the chiefs was motivated by the need for accelerated socio-economic development for the people of the Northern part of the region.
The people of that part of the region are reported to have made several complaints that they have been deprived of their fair share of development meant for the whole region with the southern part taking a lion’s share of resources and attention.
The petitioners are hoping to make Hohoe the capital of the new region if created.
High among the list of petitioners over the last five years are a former member of the council of state, Nana Akompi Finam of Kedjebi, the Deputy Minister of the Volta Region and the then presiding member of the Nkwanta district assembly, Joseph Nayan, Nana Akpandza of Buem Traditional Areas and Nana Afari of the National development Planning Commission.
The request is also believed to be politically motivated as it would give the New Patriotic Party (NPP) an urge to win more seats in the 22 seat region of which the party has only one.
The petitioners are reported to have made a fresh request in 2006 while that the Council of State had called on the Regional Minister Kofi Dzamesi and his deputy to answer questions on the possibility of the creation of the Oti region after a recent discussion on the issue.
