President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called on the overlord of Gonjaland, Yagbonwura Tuntumba Boresa (I), to support him to achieve the creation of a new region from the Northern Region.

The Yagbonwura had petitioned the President that the Gonjaland traditional area, endowed with mineral resources and tourism potentials, deserves to be a region on its own.

Nana Akufo-Addo assured the Yagbonwura that the processes of creating a new region had begun but will require the support of the chief to make it a reality.

Mr Akufo-Addo said this when the Yagbonwura paid a courtesy call on him at the Flagstaff House in Accra on Friday, 8 September 2017.

Addressing the chief and his elders, Mr Akufo-Addo said: “For your personal appeal for the creation a new region, I’ve sent all the petitions to the Council of State. I did so in June and in August the Council of State responded positively to the request I had made for their advice. The next stage of the process is establishing the commission of enquiry as the constitution demands to come in and investigate the demand for the region and make recommendations for me.

“If the recommendations are positive, then the Electoral Commission will organise a referendum for the people of the area to express themselves. So that process has begun…

“I need your support, I need your strong support to make sure that the process goes through successfully and goes through peacefully. The constitution has set a very high mark for achieving the reform. 50 per cent of the people in the area are to come out to vote and 80 per cent of them have to say yes before we can get the region. So Yagbonwura, if you don’t get up and say people should come and vote, it’s going to be difficult for me to be able to do it. I need your support to make sure that the petition you have brought to be examined succeeds.”