With less than three weeks to the holding of a referendum for the creation of new regions, the campaign for the carving out of the Western North region from the present day Western region has intensified with the hierarchy of the Wiawso Catholic Diocese joining the traditional authority of the area to galvanize support for the agenda.
The Wiawso Diocesan Bishop, Most Reverend Joseph Francis Essien has told the GBC that the church is stepping up its support for the creation of the new region by motivating the Clergy, Catechists, Church leaders at the various Parishes and Societies within the Diocese to whip up the interest of their members and their family members to gear up to vote take part in the Referendum on the 27th of this month.
Most Rev. Essien was speaking to our Correspondent Nicholas Osei-Wusu on the fringes of a grand durbar to climax a year-long centenary celebration of the founding of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Rectorate at Atronsu near Sefwi Bewkai in the Western region.
The West-Northern part of the Present day Western region is considered as the most endowed in terms of the natural resource base not only of the Western region, but Ghana on a whole.
It shares border with the Ashanti region at Bibiani and the Ivory Coast at Pillar 34. The geographical area also covers the Sefwi and Aowin ethnic groups with about nine administrative districts earmarked for inclusion in the new region.
Among the major towns in this region are Bibiani, Asawinso, Awaso, Bekwai, Wiawso, Asafo, Aowin, Oseikojokrom and Benchima.
It is this part of the country where bauxite in commercial quantity, cocoa and timber are produced in very large quantities.
Campaign to galvanize the people in the area to patronize the upcoming Referendum has been intensified less than three weeks to the event with bills board mounted at the centre of the border town of Bibiani.
Apart from the setting up of a Committee to carry out the mandate to get the message to every nook and crony, almost every individual or group interested in this agenda has intensified the campaign and looking for the least platform of opportunity to advance this cause.
A grand durbar to climax a year-long centenary celebration of the introduction of Catholicism at Bobrapa and the founding of the Immaculate Conception Church at Atronsu near Sefwi Bekwai therefore came in handy.
A native of Sefwi Atronsu, the late Opanin Kwame Sobre introduced Catholicism to the area in 1917 upon his return from the Ivory Coast where he had lived for trade.
Opanin Sobre managed to convince inhabitants of a nearby community, Bobrapa and the neighbouring villages including Sefwi Bekwai to accept the new faith.
Today, the Immaculate Conception Catholic church has just been elevated to a Rectorate with a membership of about one thousand 200 headed by the first ever Rector, Rev. Father Dennis Jojo Kwarteng.
The Guest Speaker, Samuel Nana Ansah, who is a former Vice Principal of the Wiawso College of Education, disclosed that, the Immaculate Conception Catholic Rectorate is considering establishing a College of Education at Atronsu as a monument for the Centenary of the introduction of Catholicism in the area.
The Queen mother of Atronsu, Nana Ama Baah, entreated all citizens of the town to galvanize their relatives home or elsewhere to return home on December 27, to cast their vote in favour of the new region.
The Omanhene of Sefwi Wiaso, Okatakyie Kwasi Bumangama, noted that, the creation of the Western North region is a must and that nothing should be done to derail efforts.
In an interview, the Wiawso Catholic Diocesan Bishop, Most Rev. Joseph Kweku Essien, noted that, creation of the new region is long overdue and that the Catholic Diocese is leaving nothing to chance in using the structures in the church’s hierarchy to galvanize its members throughout the Diocese which also falls within the area earmarked for the Western North region, to ensure a massive turn out during the Referendum.
Story by Nicholas Osei-Wusu
