Likpe (O/R), Aug. 14, Mr Dan Botwe, Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development has said government is ready for the inauguration of the newly created Guan District.

The Minister also officially announced Likpe Mate as the administrative capital for the District which is located in the Oti Region.

He said an inaugural ceremony would be held in coming weeks to make the District fully operationalised.

Mr Botwe addressing traditional leaders and people of the Guan District as part of a tour to the Volta and Oti regions said meetings were held with the two regional Coordinating Councils aimed at deepening the decentralisation with reference to local governance act, Act 936 (2016) as well as meeting some Municipal Assemblies.

He said although the Minister was empowered to select an inaugural date for the District, there was the need to confer with the traditional leaders seeking their readiness.

The Minister said the District would have its own share of development projects, and other benefits due District Assemblies in the country and the President had the power to create a district and not a Constituency adding that it was the duty of the Electoral Commission to do so.

The Minister called on the traditional leaders in the area to fight for development with the aim of eradicating poverty and diseases.

“It is important that from today, the news that comes from here is that of unity of purpose and our burning desire to have our District inaugurated and have accelerated development.”

The Minister also inspected available structures and facilities for commencement of administrative works in the District.

Dr Joshua Makubu, Oti Regional Minister said the people of the Guan Area could now own their development process no matter how little the resources would be to draw their own scale of preferences and commended them for the maintenance of peace and stability over the period.

Mr Andrews Teddy Ofori, Hohoe Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), said after the 2018 referendum, the expectation was the creation and inauguration of a District for the area and noted that representation was involved in all processes that led to the creation and yet-to-be inaugurated District.

Traditional leaders from the Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lolobi and Likpe areas including; Nana Soglo Alloh IV, Paramount Chief of Likpe Traditional Area noted that the traditional leaders and the people were ready for the District to be inaugurated.

Dr Obed Asamoah, an opinion leader from the Guan District, expressed gratitude to the traditional areas for the roles they played for the area to reach its current state and called for action towards the creation of the Constituency to avert their disenfranchisement in future elections.

The Guan District consists of 13 electoral areas and will be the 261st District in Ghana.

Source: Ghana News Agency