The President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Saturday, 7th August 2022 commissioned an ultra-modern office complex for the administrative use by the North East Regional Coordinating Council (NERCC).
The Office Complex is part of a number of projects being executed in the six newly created regions in Ghana, to see to the facilitation of bringing efficient governance and development closer to the people through the decentralisation agenda.
The complex will house all the essential and required state departments and institutions for the necessary participatory and collaborative effective administrative running of the region for an accelerated development.
The President in his address recalled that the Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD) Hon. Daniel Botwe was appointed to see to a regional reconstruction in the first tenure of his administration;” that is why he has been given the added responsibility of making sure that the decentralisation exercise and the revolution we have seen in the administration of our state becomes firm”.
He added that “we can’t build a region without creating the institutions that will make the regional development a success which is why the NERCC office complex has been provided”.
According to the president, the decision to accept the idea of creating new regions was to bring government closer to the people and to also accelerate the process of social and economic progress in the various regions to engender national development.
In order for that to happen, the president mentioned that “we need to be able also to have some focal points around which governmental action can take place, this building we are commissioning today for the NERCC is one of such important focal points for governmental work”; expressing happiness that the seed of sod-cutting which he undertook some years ago, has ended up in a magnificent edifice that will run the development affairs of the region.
He was full of commendation to the Over-Lord of Mamprugu Traditional Area, Naa Bohagu Abdulai Mahami, who has been a strong supporter of government in development for the region and the role he has played in brokering peace in Dagbon. The president was hopeful he will again help in securing peace in Bawku also.
He assured the people of the North East of having taken note of other developmental concerns in various sectors raised to be addressed in due course.
The Hon. Minister for MLGDRD, Mr. Daniel Botwe in an address on his part remarked that it has been the deep aspirations of some sections of the country to have their own region dating back to pre-independence, citing the Oti Region as a case study. Successive governments he said have also received petitions in the same regard.
He mentioned that reasons cited for the above aspiration was for government to be felt closer to the people and vice versa for decentralisation to take place to accelerate development, which is why according to the Minister, government heeded and complied and created new regions.
The creation of the regions he said has brought with it the provision of critical administrative and infrastructural projects that will fulfil the aspirations of the people in nation building and socio-economic growth for national development and progress.
He was optimistic that this achievement has come to be a catalyst that will continue to spur the people and government on to do more for the good of the region and for the country by extension.
The commissioning ceremony was attended by the Over-Lord, Sub Chief and elders of Mamprugu Traditional Area and the Leadership of the NERCC and other Sector Ministers of State.
Source: Public Relations Unit (MLGDRD)