Protesters for the creation of an Eastern Corridor Region which has received barefaced rejection by the Dagbon Traditional Council, have refused to relent.
Another protest broke out again Thursday, January 4, days after a youth coalition in favour of the creation staged a noisy street demonstration in Yendi, against the traditional council decision to block the creation of proposed Eastern Corridor Region from the current Northern Region.
The renewed demonstration embarked on only by women and little children in the Eastern Corridor enclave was to step up pressure on the traditional authority to rescind it decision.
The women protest bore similar features of what was witnessed on Monday, except the women were less aggressive and did not spew unsubstantiated rhetoric against chiefs and politicians, unlike the Coalition youth which openly accused some regional leaders of the opposition NDC party including Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu, of influencing the verdict of the traditional council.
They waved placards with very measured messages and matched directly about 1.5km to the Municipal Assembly building where they handed over a petition to the Chief Executive, Alhaji Ahmed Abubakari Yussif.
“Bring it on, let’s vote on it. Government you can’t fail the youth. Don’t politicise the Eastern Corridor Region “, some of the placards read.
Their petition containing their grievance was addressed to President Akufo-Addo.
Women as old as 60-65 years were spotted taking front rows in the protest that appeared to be beyond just the quest for new region. Protesters lamented the unbearable hardships and high youth unemployment in the Eastern Corridor enclave which has been totally neglected by governments for decades, largely due land and chieftaincy conflicts.
Asana Abudu, a leader of the protesters said women within the Eastern Corridor territory were very “hurt” by the decision of the Dagbon Traditional Council.
She said a new region would accelerate development and open new opportunities for the youth drifting out to cities in search for improved sources of livelihood.
Asana labelled the chiefs blocking creation of the proposed Eastern Corridor Region as “enemies of the youth” and pleaded with the president to instruct the commission of inquiry under the ministry of Regional Reorganization and Development to include the area in the ongoing processes to create new regions in the country.
“We are the women who give birth to children we are getting old very soon. We want our youth to develop so that in our old age they can take care of us.
“We have all the requirements that qualify to become the Eastern Corridor Regional capital so each and every one or any chief who is against the creation of region is our enemies. They are enemies of the women, enemies of the youth”.
The MCE after receiving the petition thanked protestors for the peaceful nature of the protest before assuring them he would deliver their concerns to the presidency.
BACKGROUND
The Dagbon Traditional Council on December 24 last year unanimously took a strong position and kicked against the creation of proposed Eastern Corridor Region at a council meeting in Yendi, chaired by Acting President and Regent of Dagbon, Kampakuyana Naa Yakubu Abdulai Andani.
A new Eastern Corridor Region would separate Western Dagbon settlements comprising Savelugu, Sagnarigu, Tamale, Tolon, Kumbungu, Nanton from Eastern Dagbon which include Yendi, Mion, Saboba, Chereponi, Zabzugu, Tatale, Gushegu and possibly Karaga.
There will now be two independent House of chiefs which will automatically squeeze the powers of the Yaa Naa and repeat a scenario at pre independence era where the overlord nearly lost control over some territories when the Kingdom was partitioned between the German Togoland and British Gold Coast.
The Council warned that any move to partition the current Northern Region will be to divide Dagbon and limit the powers of the Yaa Naa, adding they will rebel against any such attempts.
Source: Ghana/StarrFMonline.com/Eliasu Tanko