Sefwiman gear up to petition parliament for new region

The Sefwiman Development Association led by Mr. Tony Tsina Addai, a native of Sefwi, has hinted that the group would soon present a petition to the Ghana Parliament as part of efforts and moves to press home their demand for creation of the West North Region.

This has come to light due to what the group described as the continuous neglect of the area by successive governments over the years.

The team would therefore be seeking to draw the attention of parliament to their concerns in order to realize this agenda to steer developmental affairs at Sefwi and its surrounding areas.

"We are preparing a petition to parliament for the need for a new region to improve the standard of living for our people. Getting a regional capital will help to bring in more and more people to come here to invest. This will give jobs to more people thereby reducing the high unemployment level in the area.

“….This will improve the quality of life for the Sefwi people and make them also feel happy about themselves. They shall also have better schools, roads, hospitals etc. Many sefwis elsewhere shall come home to help develop the area better. The people shall be closer to government with the help of regional administration to channel their issues directly to the government unlike now that everything goes through Takoradi which takes much longer time before concerns and demands are attended to by government,’’ he explained.

According to Mr. Tony Tsina Addai, Sefwiman represents three ethnic groups namely "Aowin, Brosa and Sefwi ".

These three ethnic groups live on the northern part of Western Region where all sorts of minerals are found.

He said the ethnic groups speak similar language as Sefwi so they use Sefwi to represent all the people in that area.

The worried native of Sefwi had more issues to throw light on:

"Minerals such as gold, timber, ivory, cocoa, bauxite etc., which contributes to the highest portion of the country's GDP yet it is far away from development. “….However, they can know where to go for the money to develop other areas ha! Is that not funny and sad? Since the foundation of the state, Sefwi is now 57 years but we still live on poor environment why?

“We have been quiet for far too long that is why we have been kept in the dark. Even there is a saying that life begins at 40-years. Sefwi is now 57 years nearly on retirement, what can the area be proud of? Many of our people cry on daily basis as a result of lack of development after all our natural and human resources. At the moment, Sefwi can be proud of more graduates unlike many years ago.

“….They prevented us from getting education thus they built no better schools. They prevented us from increase in our numbers thus they built no better hospitals. They prevented us to travel around so we can't see what they are doing elsewhere thus they built no better roads. Can one tell us, has there been any state of nation's address that any government has announced that they have built a polytechnic, better hospital etc in Sefwi? No, oh you tell us! We don't benefit from Takoradi as our regional capital. We have continued to live under districts for 57 years now with no development. Our people have spread out all over the country in search of jobs or education because we don't have any here.

“Money from our resources is being used to build better hospitals, roads, schools etc elsewhere. Don't we also deserve better in Sefwi? Getting a regional capital will help our area to turn a new leaf as every Member of Parliament is aware including the president and his vice. It will at the end benefit all people in the country and promote goods and services in Sefwi area too.’’

Mr. Tony Addai further revealed that at the moment all the MPs, DCEs, Chiefs including paramount chiefs are all in full support of the campaign for this new region to rescue Sefwi because many were tired that is long overdue. Asked whether the petition would be the last part of the crusade, this is what Mr. Tony Addai had to say:

‘‘Well, the petition to Parliament will not be the end of our campaign for change until our demand is granted. This is because the people of Sefwi have suffered a lot and they keep suffering until today with lack of infrastructure and some common social amenities.

“….We don't think we are asking too much from government because the creation of a region in Sefwi is long overdue that even the present government is aware. It is something that we think the government should have even considered long ago. We also believe that Sefwi is the blood donor to mother Ghana and it is fair to develop it.

"You may believe it or not, but it is the place in the country that every government can't do without because we have it all. When you talk of food, cocoa, timber, ivory, bauxite and even gold, there is no place in the country that can be compared. Which place can challenge sefwi out of resources? any challenger? No challenger.

Against all odds, we need a region with our own regional minister. There is no challenger hence we deserve this treat to improve the quality of life of our people as equal citizens of the nation Ghana. God bless Ghana and bless Sefwi land on the move to bring real change to Sefwiman.