The Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs) established in the six newly created regions will begin work by the close of this month.
This is to enable the people of the new regions to access basic social services in their respective regional capitals within the shortest possible time, instead of travelling to the capitals of the regions out of which the new regions were carved.
This came to light when a government delegation, led by the Minister of Regional Reorganisation and Development, Mr Dan Kwaku Botwe, visited Damongo, the capital of the Savannah Region, to inspect infrastructure for the RCC last Friday.
Mr Botwe, after the inspection tour of the buildings to be used as offices of the RCC and accommodation facilities to house people to be posted to the region, expressed satisfaction with the facilities.
He said the team also visited Nalerigu, the capital of the North East Region, where it found that all was set for the take-off of the RCCs to help bring into fruition the vision and aspirations of the chiefs and the people who demanded the creation of the new regions.
Posting of staff/attitude/logistics
Mr Botwe and his team also interacted with local government workers in the capitals of those two new regions.
He urged workers who would be posted to the six newly created regions to work hard to help achieve the vision and aspirations of the chiefs and people of the new regions for accelerated development and good governance at their doorstep.
He disclosed that the GH¢20-million seed money for each of the six new regions would be ready for disbursement as soon as the RCCs commenced work next week.
The Head of the Local Government Service (LGS), Dr Nana Ato Arthur, who was a member of the delegation, said some key and technical staff who had been appointed to the various RCCs to begin work next week included chief directors, regional human resource managers and planning, budget, finance and works officers.
He said the core staff to begin work at the various RCCs in the new regions would be a blend of top-class experienced people already in the system and young talented ones.
Dr Arthur disclosed that the LGS was set to recruit about 2,200 workers this year, some of which would be posted to the six regions to give real meaning to the country’s decentralisation process.
Yagbonwura/local content
Mr Botwe and his team also paid a courtesy call on the Overlord of the Gonja Traditional Area, Yagbonwura Tuntumba Boresa I, at his palace in Damongo to announce the take-off of the RCC and called for cooperation and support from the people, especially the youth of the area.
He said the administrators and technical officers at the newly established RCCs in the new regions would start work from next week, while awaiting the vetting and subsequent swearing-in of regional ministers and their deputies designate.
The Yagbonwura, for his part, called for local content in the policy for recruitment and appointments to the new regions to ensure inclusiveness.
On the minister’s delegation were the Northern Regional Minister, Mr Salifu Saeed, who is also the caretaker Regional Minister for the Savannah and the North East; the Regional Minister designate for the Savannah Region, Mr Adam Salifu Braimah, and the Deputy Minister designate for the region, Mr John Tika.
Facilities
Among the facilities inspected in Damongo was a three-storey building which has more than 30 offices to be converted for temporary use as the Savannah RCC.