Youth in the Jasikan District of the Volta Region Saturday morning embarked on a ‘Yellow Walk for Oti Region’ ahead of Thursday, December 27 referendum on the creation of 6 new regions across the country.
The walk which saw participants dressed in yellow ‘Oti Region’ branded T-shirts was to educated the older generation and implore them to participate in the referendum.
The ‘Yellow walk for Oti Region’ solely sponsored by the youth processed in the principal streets of Jasikan and Okadjakrom amid music, with some chanting “Oti oooo, Oti” and “yellow for Yes, Yellow for Oti Region”.
A Youth leader in the area William Kwasi Agyei siad “the walk was aimed at educating the elderly on how to vote ‘Yes’ for the creation of the Oti Region”
“Yellow represents ‘Yes’ for Oti Region and development, so we decided to wear yellow during the walk to exhibit to them [aged voters] the color to select and thumbprint on the ballot paper during the referendum”, he added.
He detailed that Buem youth have also designed a program dubbed ‘Get out to vote’ to ensure all registered voters in the area participate in the referendum, “which is the last task in getting our own region”.
“Youth in the area have planned to move from household to household, knocking on doors to drive out all voters in the Jasikan District to go and endorse the big yes for Oti Region”, he explained.
One of the organizers of the walk, Gyamebi Adolph is optimistic the walk and other campaign activities ongoing in the Buem area would contribute achieve the 50% voter turnout and 80% votes in favor of the creation of the Oti Region in the referendum.
“Hopefully the Electoral Commissioner, Jean Mensah, will declare the Oti Region endorsed and created after the referendum”, he stressed.
6 new regions to be created nationwide
Six new regions could be created after the referendum in 4 regions where petitions for the creation of new regions were presented to the President.
A 9-member commission of inquiry into the creation of the new regions recommended that a referendum be held in the areas earmarked for the new regions in the Northern, Brong Ahafo, Western and Volta regions.
This followed series of public hearings in areas demanding for new regions by the commission of inquiry to substantiate their demand.