Ketu South In Disarray � Over Creation of District

THE KETU South district is in total confusion over the recent removal of the area from the list of districts to be split into two. As a result, the youth and people in the district from both the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) staged a massive demonstration barely 24 hours after the proposal was announced in parliament on Monday. The people particularly those from the NDC have threatened to boycott the upcoming general election as well as the biometric registration exercise. They have also vowed to disrupt all NDC political activities in the area and make sure the party loses in the general election. Clad in red and wielding placards, the group started the march at the party office in Tokor and later marched to the District Assembly office to present its petition. Some of the inscriptions on the cards read, �No District No Vote,� �No District No Registration� and �Confusion Rocks World Bank.� Others read: �Kofi Awunor, No Municipal No Primaries.� �Kofi Awunor we are tired of your gargantuan manipulation� �Ketu south is being changed to Rural Bank� and �Greedy Bastards leave Ketu South Alone.� The group led by Ketu South NDC Constituency Chairman, Marshall Ackumey presented its petition to District Chief Executive, Bernard Frank Amable. The petition which was signed by Ackumey and the Secretary, Ben Bella Haligah as well as other executives noted that the removal of Ketu South from the list is unacceptable and must be rectified immediately. It added that of the many districts to be created and the ones tipped to be elevated to municipal status, Ketu South best deserves district and municipality status because it meets the population threshold and economic viability criteria more than the other district that has been chosen. Mr. Ackumey said the same arguments hold for geographical contiguity and ethnic homogeneity of Ketu South compared to the other districts. The petition also explained that due to the seriousness given to the proposed creation of the Aflao municipality, all traditional and boundary issues were resolved with full support from the chiefs and people of the area. Mr. Ackumey added that the voting pattern in the Volta region indicates that Ketu South district has the highest voter population and therefore votes massively for the NDC more than any of the other districts. He said in the 2008 election, Ketu South gave the NDC over 60,000 votes, the highest in the whole region and called on President Mills to maintain the area as a district. The DCE, Bernard Amable who received the petition for onward submission to the President through Regional Minster, Joseph Amenowode, expressed gratitude for the peaceful manner in which the protest was held. He assured them that their petition will be presented to the President and given the needed attention. The MP for the area, Albert Zigah told DAILY GUIDE in a telephone interview that the list presented to parliament was a preliminary list and that parliament is yet to receive an explanation and further details as to what informed the omission of Ketu South district. He said when he contacted Local Government Minister, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, he was told the omission was recommended by the Electoral commission based what it called technical challenges in the demarcation process. He however called for calm and promised to do all he can to help Ketu South get the new municipality.