Arguments against the creation of the proposed "Savannah Region" are flawed.

Since my last feature on the creation of the proposed second region in the Northern Region, I have received various reactions on this issue. The positive comments are overwhelming but I would like to dwell on the arguments some advanced against the creation such a region.

There are those who have argued that the creation of a new region out of the Northern Region should be in the interest of all northerners and not seen as the agenda of any group of people. I reason in line with them. Gonjaland people are not agitating for an ethnic region. That is why they even suggested the region should be called Savannah Region but not "Gonja" or "Gonjaland "Region like the case of the Brong-Ahafo or Ashanti Regions.

Perhaps it would be useful for those who argue against the creation of a new region in the Northern Region to pause a while to reflect on the reasons why the then Upper Region clamoured for the partitioning of the region into what is now known as the Upper East and West Regions even though as that region was much smaller in terms of both size and population if compared to the Northern Region. The other ethnic groups have nothing to lose by if another region is created but on the contrary a lot to gain. It is a truism that without the tacit support of other ethnic groups in the Northern Region, such a request would be a mirage.

Others believe the issue should be discussed in close doors and under cover. I totally disagree with those who are of this opinion. We must publicly and frankly discuss the issue in order to get the merits and demerits. It is simply about development but nothing else. There is nothing mischievous about wanting people to know why the need for the "Savannah' Region.

People have asked why it should be the Yagbonwura (Traditional Ruler of Gonjaland) is the one who would petition Government to create a new region out of the northern region and that this suggests that the King is demanding a region to be created based on tribal lines. They also argue that the division should not be based on petitions from a single chief or demands from a tribe.

This is true but those who argue this way are not being fair to Gonjas. Before Regions like the Brong-Ahafo and Upper West were created, who petitioned Government? It’s obvious the Chiefs. In 2006, it was the Chiefs of the Northern Volta led by the President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, Togbe Gabusu with support from the Paramount Chief of Gbi Traditional Area, Togbe Agboka VI and the Paramount Chief of Leklebi Traditional Area that sent a fresh petition to Government requesting for the creation of a separate region in the northern part of Volta to be called "Oti Region".

In any case many Youth groups, Civil Society Organisations, Pressure Groups, Opinion leaders and Politicians (including the Vice-President of the Republic of Ghana) have come out to support the call for the proposed region to be carved out of the Northern Region

It must be explained that the people from Gonjaland comprise of autonomous ethnic groups like the Vagla, Safalba, Nchorba, Brifor, Lobi, Hanga, Tampulma, Mmara, Bartige, Mo, Pantra, Mibor, Norme, Nawuri and Nchumuru who are all privy to the petition. Our agitation should therefore not be misconstrued and misinterpreted as an ethnic group asking for a Region. Far from that! If not Gonjas would not be lobbying Nanumbas who have also been marginalised for far too long to join them in the agitation for a new region. The other ethnic groups that might fall on the geographical boundaries of the proposed region has nothing to lose if another region is created but on the contrary a lot to gain.

There is also this erroneous impression of the people of Gonjaland agitating for a region because they now have a Vice-President. A friend recently questioned me why we have become louder in our agitation for a region. He told me that the fact that the Vice- President is a Gonja is not a license to secure a region for Gonjas. My answer was simple; 'Our agitation for a region to be created from the present Northern Region started before John Mahama was born'. In fact there were several petitions from successive Yagbonwuras before John Mahama even thought of contesting as a Member of Parliament from the area.

One of the most ridiculous argument is the question of which of the towns in Gonjaland qualifies to be Municipal capital not to talk of a Regional Capital. Bawku was far bigger than Bolgatanga but Bolgatanga was chosen as capital of the then Upper Region by President Kwame Nrumah's government. Likewise Berekum was bigger than Sunyani but was chosen as the capital of the Brong-Ahafo Region by Nkrumah. Sometimes factors such as the volume of economic activities taking place in a town, the potential of a town to develop into a city and the strategic position of a town also adds to its advantages in becoming a Regional capital.

There is a strange argument that Gonjaland with a population of 440,976 in its Six Districts out of 1,820,806 for the Northern Region (as quoted by the 2000 Population and Housing Census), has fewer people and that it may not be altogether feasible to grant a region based on its boundaries. The Counter argument I wish to put across is that Gonjaland's population (440,976) is just a little below the 576,583 quoted for the Upper West Region. If Nanumbaland's two districts; Nanumba North and Nanumba South, with a population of 144,278 are added to Gonjaland to form the geographical boundaries of the proposed region, then its population will be 685,154 which far exceed the population of the Upper West Region and just a little below the Upper East Region with a population of 920,089.

Moreover, I find it difficult to understand why both the Upper East and West regions with a population of 1,496,672 is not a single region but Northern Region alone with a population of 1,820,806 (324,134 more than the two Upper regions) remain undivided.

I am also of the conviction that population alone cannot and should not be the justification of not given serious consideration to the creation of a second region out of the present Northern Region. It is a well known fact that parts of the world such as Siberia in the then Soviet Union, the Western Provinces of China, the Amazon in the Brazil, Alaska in the United States of America, self administration was granted to help accelerate development in these areas.

Let us all therefore agree that limited attention has always been given to the development needs of some parts of Northern Region by successive governments. Infrastructure development projects by governments such as roads, water, agriculture development, telecommunication, primary health care, educational facilities, and access to the mass media and so on in their part of the region appear not to have been given the kind of importance like other areas.

There are so many problems responsible for the slow development of the Northern Region and one of the ways of ameliorating these problems is the creation of a new region. The state of the roads in the Region is generally bad. The only stretch of roads that is tarred (first class) are the Buipe through Tamale to Bolgatanga stretch, a distance of about 270 Km and Tamale to Yendi stretch. Most roads are not motor-able in the rainy season thus hampering economic activities, tourism and other basic health programs.

Many of the most important tourist’s sites in the country are found in Gonjaland of the Northern Region. Mention can be made of the Game Reserve at Mole, Bui National Park, the Ancient Mosque and Mystic Stone at Larabanga (West Gonja), Ndewura Jakpa's Tomp at Old Buipe (Central Gonja), the Slave Market and Wells at Salaga (West Gonja), as well as the Hippopotamus Sanctuary at Ntereso and Royal Mausoleum for Gonja Kings at Mankuma (Bole). Why are they not being developed? It is because the roads are not motorable.

The area could boast of lands with mineral deposits. The Barite at Daboya, Brine deposits at river bed of the White Volta and Gold at Bombir, Bauxite at Digma, Diamond at Fimbu, (West Gonja), Gold at Dakurpe and Tinga (Bole), Limestine at Buipe (Central Gonja),Gold at can be tapped for the socio-economic development of the area and the country as a whole. These are not being mined in commercial quantities as a result of neglect.

Farming the main source of livelihood for Ghanaians could potentially prove a strong backbone for the economic development of the new region since the natural vegetation is predominantly guinea savannah It would also be a bread basket of the country as far as the production of food and cash crops such as maize, yam, millet, sheanut, cashew, cotton and others are concerned. Livestock animals such as cattle, sheep and goats can be reared in large quantities. . But how is this being handled?

The sheer size of the Region is itself a problem. The Northern Region is by far the largest in Ghana. It is about five times the size of Upper East; two times the size of Ashanti and God knows how many regions of the size of the Greater Accra can be carved out of Northern Region. I think that the Northern Region is too big to be controlled from Tamale; it is too big to be one administrative division. The reason some Regional Ministers in the past considered the region as ungovernable. It needs to be divided into two manageable regions in place of this one amorphous and unwieldy region.

If all the boundaries of Gonjaland alone for instance were retained or considered as a region, it would have been bigger than most administrative regions in Ghana. Even with the reduction as some parts are in the Brong-Ahafo region, Gonjaland and its Six Districts with a total of 36,783 sq. kms are still bigger than as many as eight (8) regions in the country. These regions are Ashanti (24,390.59 sq.kms), Western (22,096 sq.kms), Volta (20,570.59 sq. kms.), Upper West (18,476.59 sq. kms.), Upper East (8,818.59 sq.kms) and Greater Accra (4,540.59 sq.kms).

I strongly believe that the creation of a new region in Northern Region would solve these problems and also ensure the rapid realisation of government's decentralization policy and equitable distribution of the country's resources in line with the Directive Principle of State Policy as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. The creation of a new region would also remove all bottlenecks that impede the smooth administration and development of parts of Northern Region and therefore bring about an accelerated development as well as administrative efficiency.

The Northern Region is richly endowed with the natural resources that should make it one of the richest regions in the country but its size is a problem in realising its dreams. Indeed the region has the capacity to be the breadbasket of the nation. The Northern Region is unique in many ways and would need a different approach, an accelerated development plan that would make it like other parts of the country. By doing this, we can make this part of the country attractive to people to settle as well as do business. The Northern Region lacks many things especially industrial and economic projects. It needs to be divided so that the limited resources, in the north will be effectively used.

I hope that for the sake of unity, even development and equitable distribution of resources, this suggestion would take a national dimension and looked into.