The Bono East Region in Ghana

1.4 The Background Wrangling It is fair to recognize those through whose efforts the Bono East Region was created, and to accord them their rightful place in history. This will ensure that future generations are not deprived of the contributions of the real actors. The idea of creating regions in Ghana to accelerate the pace of socioeconomic development was well entrenched in the 2016 Manifesto of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). It was an idea that floated around among some party members within the affected areas, quite possibly even before it found its way into the party’s manifesto. As far back as June 2016, before the December 7, 2016 Presidential and Parliamentary elections, the then Director of Elections of the major opposition political party, the NPP, Mr. Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, had discussions with the then NPP Presidential Candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo, on the possible creation of a new region for the eastern corridor of the Brong Ahafo Region, as part of those to be created in the likely event of an NPP victory. Nana Akufo-Addo, was firmly convinced that he could bring about these new regions, even though no government has been able to do so using the relevant constitutional provisions. He believed that creation of new regions would help accelerate the socioeconomic development process in the intended areas, and an NPP government ought to lead this charge and take credit for it. He also believed that Ghanaians within those enclaves would be eternally grateful if such new regions were created, and could even result in voter sympathy and loyalty that could translate into more votes during elections for the NPP. He was further cognizant of the fact that the creation of the last region of Upper West in 1983 had brought about a fair amount of socioeconomic development to the people of that region. It is fair to surmise that any rational individual, given the chance, would certainly want to be remembered years beyond one’s transition from earth. What lasting public good did one leave behind as legacy? That is the essence of ‘immortality.’ It is an opportunity for one to be transformed into 'Andromeda' in the highest heavens. Probably, Mr. Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah might have grasped this essence and opportunity for ‘immortality’ through this region creation project. However, the creation of the Bono East Region had not been among the many petitions and agitations that places like the Ahafo, Oti, Savannah, North East, and Western North had pushed for over several decades. Whereas that of the Bono East may have been fairly new, its case and need for a region was not in any way at variance with those of the other five regions, if not even dire. On December 21, 2016, shortly before his appointment as Deputy Minister of Regional Reorganization and Development, Mr. Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah conferred with the paramount chief of Techiman, Nana Akumfi Ameyaw IV, and other chiefs about the Bono East Region project. The initial reaction to the idea was generally one of repulsion. From purely traditional perspectives, some of the chiefs believed a new region could divide and weaken the front of the Bono States. Probably, it was the early days and some chiefs and some politicians felt they had to tread cautiously until things became much clearer. It was initially viewed from the position that such creation would be detrimental to the interests of the Bono States, because as it will wane in disunity and division, others like the Ashanti kingdom will remain intact and united. This would increase the hegemony of the Ashanti kingdom. Other actors, acting independently of each other, but with the common objective of achieving a region in the eastern corridor, were also busy working underground. Among them were Nana Afena Nketia II (formerly called Mr. Fred Zeini), the Twafohene of the Techiman Traditional Area and Nana Apenten Fosu Gyeabour II, the Banmuhene of the Techiman Traditional Area. Later, other chiefs became persuaded and joined the bandwagon. Now bearing an official tag as Deputy Minister for Regional Reorganization and Development, a ministry whose task it was to oversee the creation of the new regions, Honorable Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, could not have been in any better position to help bring about the much needed Bono East Region to help his people achieve rapid socioeconomic development. At least, there was no constitutional provision against giving any support he felt would be needed. The situation of Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah may be essentially similar to the case in the 2000 US Presidential campaign when a TV journalist confronted George W. Bush with the question: “you‘ve gotten to where you are in this presidential race because your father was president.” His response was swift: “but I am also entitled to contest for the presidency in my own right as a citizen. The fact that I am his son doesn't take away my right to contest.” In the same vein, the position of Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah did not preclude him from assisting his people to achieve rapid socio-economic development. A final petition was subsequently presented to the Council of State, through the presidency, containing much broader signatories of chiefs and detailed justifications for a Bono East Region. It was passed around for signatories by Mr. Evans Eghan and Mr. Isaac Kwain. This final petition was intensely defended before the Commission of Inquiry whose mandate it was to inquire whether a “substantial demand” existed for the creation of the Bono East Region. The Commission was hell-bent on doing an independent, objective, and honest assignment for the nation. To the Commission, the other petitions and agitations for regions, such as Ahafo and Oti had been long outstanding with historical grounding, whereas that of Bono East was fairly new and without much history. The Bono East petitioners argued that the cases being made for a new region by the other five petitions also applied to the Bono East Region. In fact, in some cases those of the Bono East were even much stronger, such as the case of spatial extent and population size. For those reasons, the absence of antecedence of the Bono East petition should, in no way, constitute grounds for disqualification and/or diminish the case for its creation. Clarifying and defending the Bono East petition further, in his capacity as a citizen of the Bono East Region rather than as a Deputy Minister, Honorable Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah drew the attention of the Commission to the fact that there was no requirement of time frame or some kind of maturity provisions in the 1992 Constitution for petitions to be considered, accepted, or rejected. Thus, it made the argument of antecedence feeble, and paled into insignificance.