Chiefs and elders of the Sissala East Municipality have petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to create the Sissala South District, with Welembelle as its proposed capital.

The petition, presented by Kuoro Professor Baduawaali II, President of the Sissala Council of Chiefs and Paramount Chief of Welembelle, was submitted through the Upper West Regional Minister, Charles Puozuing Lwanga.

According to the petition, a committee established in 2018 to prepare proposals for the creation of the new district completed its work, but the process stalled due to the absence of official 2020 Population and Housing Census data, a key requirement for district creation.

The chiefs cited the vast size of the municipality—covering about 5,092.8 square kilometres—as a major constraint to development, noting that although the area is a major producer of maize, soya beans, and yams, it lacks adequate administrative support.

The petition further stated that Welembelle has basic infrastructure, including a polyclinic, police station and schools, which could support the immediate take-off of the proposed district.

Mr Lwanga assured the chiefs that the petition would be forwarded to the President and invited the public to the unveiling of a regional development plan scheduled for January 31, which President Mahama is expected to inaugurate.