Those who think the Ministry of Regional Reorganisation and Development has outlived its usefulness and thus should be scrapped lack vision, Mr Dan Botwe, the Regional Reorganisation and Development Minister has said.
According to him, the six newly created regions are still in their infant stage and must be shepherded to grow.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo upon assumption of office created the ministry to oversee the creation of the new regions in a fulfilment of a campaign promise in the lead-up to the 2016 general elections.
The new regions – Oti, Bono East, Savannah, North East, Western North and Ahafo – were commissioned in January this year, prompting critics to call for the scrapping of the ministry.
Latest to make that call is former President John Mahama, who said: “There can be no justification for some of the ministerial portfolios created by this administration.”
But in a subtle jab at the former President in an interview with the media at a capacity building workshop for critical staff of the newly created regions on procurement, in Accra on Saturday, Mr Botwe, the Member of Parliament for Okere, said those pushing for the dissolution of the ministry lack vision.
“Did I hear the former president talk about that? It shows the limited vision he has, he doesn’t get it. In the first place, he couldn’t do it. The people made representations to him but he couldn’t do it with the capacity to visualise it and put in place the mechanism to achieve it.”
In the view of Mr Botwe, “the emotional satisfaction [of having a new region] has been done, but there is the need to sit down and plan to develop that area.
“That is why there is the need to create a whole special ministry to achieve what the people want. Politics at the end of the day is to pursue policies and programmes that will go to satisfy the aspirations of the people.”
The ministry, he said, would be in existence till the new regions are ready to effectively take off to bring development of the people.
Likening the creation of his ministry and the appointment of a Senior Minister to oversee the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union, Mr Botwe said circumstances determine government actions.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
