Chiefs in the Ahafo area of the Brong Ahafo Region have banned Christmas conventions in their respective traditional areas due to the upcoming referendum on the creation of a new region slated for December 27, 2018.
The organizer of Ahafo Council of Chiefs and Omanhene of Hwediem Traditional Area, Barima Apea-Dwaah Boafo II, made the announcement after a stakeholder’s meeting at Hwediem.
According to him, the population of Christians in the Ahafo area is high and if they are allowed to attend Christmas conventions, it will adversely affect the upcoming referendum; hence the need for the ban.
According to the chief, the people of Ahafo need 80 per cent ‘yes’ votes in the referendum to qualify for the creation of Ahafo Region; hence the ban is important to enable them participate fully in the referendum.
He stressed: “The creation of the Ahafo Region is vital and . . . we have vowed not to allow any Christmas convention in our traditional areas to disrupt it until the referendum is over. This is because if we allow them to hold conventions, our efforts will be in vain”.
He added that the Ahafo Council of Chiefs has engaged all churches in the Ahafo areas to reschedule their conventions either before or after the referendum. “We are leaving no stone unturned in our quest to have Ahafo Region for development; as a result, churches can organize their programmes after the referendum since both functions cannot take place simultaneously. We need ‘yes’ votes to get our long-awaited region” he added.
The creation of the regions according to provisions of chapter two of the 1992 Constitution requires that a referendum be held of which 80 per cent of votes cast is ‘yes’.
For the creation of a new region or regions to be possible, 50 per cent eligible voters in an area must come out to vote and out of that 80 per cent must vote in favour of ‘yes’. The affected regions are Northern, Western, Volta and Brong Ahafo.
source: Daily Guide
