The Western Regional Minister says for the region to develop at a fast pace, and to the satisfaction of the people, there is a need for Ghana to be transformed into a federal state for decentralisation to take full effect.
He says even though the Western Region is the breadbasket of the country and hosts about 60% of the country’s resources, the revenue accumulated from the region goes to the national basket and is disbursed not on the basis of the region that contributes most.
He says due to this development, every important decision in the region is taken by the central government which he believes retards development since the process of getting things fixed and maintained is the duty of the central government and not the Western Regional Coordinating Council or district assemblies.
He said, “I have called on the Western Regional Journalist Association to campaign for a federal state, so we ourselves can develop the city.”
Background:
About 300 youth in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis embarked on a demonstration dubbed Sekondi-Takoradi Deserves Better over the deplorable nature of infrastructures and poor leadership in the region.
As of 6 a.m. on Friday, October 27, demonstrators have conveyed at the Sulele Park adjacent to the AT Nartey Pentecost Church, where they journeyed through the Takoradi Sekondi road to their final destination at the Western Regional Coordinating Council (WRCC) with the aim of presenting a petition to the Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah.
The convenor of the demonstration, Mr Samuel Gyimah Appiah, popularly known as Bishop speaking to Skyy News said the action is not an attack on any political leader but on heads of various institutions responsible for development.
He said there is a need for this action since the city has been deprived of the needed development and infrastructure, as roads keep deteriorating. Businesses keep collapsing with no one to hold them accountable.
Mr Gyimah said this peaceful demonstration is to seek accountability from institutional heads and to get the city the development it deserves.
Setting the records straight, he remarked that the demonstration was not politically influenced but a call by the youth of the Metropolis.
He says their expectation in this demonstration is to see the maintenance culture being implemented and underperforming heads of institutions responsible for the development dismissed.
However, in presenting their petition to the Western Regional Minister at the Western Regional Coordinating Council (WRCC) as the final step, the Minister was not available to receive the petition.
Some of the organisers said they would schedule another date to embark on another demonstration to present the petition, to the Minister.
