Sefwi Wiawso is the administrative capital of the newly-created Western North region.

President Nana Akufo-Addo made the announcement Friday at a ceremony at the Jubilee House, where he also presented the Constitutional Instrument to give legal backing to the creation of the new region.

The Sefwi-Wiawso was elevated to municipal status in 2012 and its capital is Wiawso.

The ceremony was attended by the delegations of traditional leaders as well as opinion leaders from the area.

It is the fifth of the six new regions created to have received the legal instrument after North East, Savannah, Bono East and Ahafo regions received theirs earlier in the week.

The Oti region’s capital is expected to be presented Friday afternoon.

Click to watch video of the presentation ceremony

Addressing the gathering, the President indicated that the creation of the Western-North Region is a culmination of agitations and pleas by residents of the Northern part of the Region for some 40 years. 

“You have always wanted it, you made a strong case for it when I visited Bodi on 12th August, 2016, then as presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, and now you have it”, he added.  

President Akufo-Addo noted that the northern part of the Western Region is resource-rich, but has not, like most parts of the nation, been developed to its full economic potential. 

“It continues to be disturbing that an area possessing an abundance minerals, agro-processing and forestry products, will continue to be one of the least developed areas in Ghana,” he said. 

With the creation of Western-North Region, President Akufo-Addo told the people of the municipalities and districts of Aowin, Bia East, Bia West, Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai, Bodi, Juabeso, Sefwi Akontombra, Sefwi Wiawso, and Suaman, that the creation of the Region has been done to bring governance closer to them, and accelerate their socio-economic development. 

“The days when a community near Samreboi got flooded, and NADMO representatives could only get there after 7 days, will soon be over,” he assured. 

In addition to the allocation of GH¢20 million as seed money for the provision of critical infrastructure to enable Western North Region take off smoothly, President Akufo-Addo indicated that a 7-member Government Committee, chaired by the Minister for Regional Reorganisation and Development, Hon. Dan Botwe, MP, to plan and oversee the rapid development of the new regions. 

As has been the case for the other newly created regions, President Akufo-Addo has appointed the current Minister for the Western Region, Hon. Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, MP for Sefwi Wiawso, as caretaker Minister for Western North Region, until a substantive appointment is made. 

“Sefwi Wiawso has also chosen been as the capital of the new region. I want to assure residents of the Region, however, that Government projects and structures will be equitably spread across the Region,” the President added. 

He urged residents of Western-North Region “to put your shoulders to the wheel, and ensure that the popular will of the people for the creation of Western North leads to an enhancement in the quality of lives of its residents. I am confident that, together, we can work to bring growth, progress and prosperity to all parts of our country.” 

See photos of the ceremony: