The Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, has urged the government to relocate certain ministries to various regions to promote balanced development across the country.
He pointed out that many people are compelled to move to Accra due to job scarcity, primarily because most government offices are centralized there.
Specifically, he proposed that ministries such as Food and Agriculture, Lands and Natural Resources, and the Forestry Commission should be decentralized and spread across different regions.
During a public lecture at the University of Ghana, he questioned the rationale behind keeping these ministries in Accra, emphasizing the potential for creating new townships, developing real estate, fostering commerce, and enabling people to work closer to their homes.
Highlighting the disparity in economic opportunities, he emphasized the need to include rural populations in the national economy by distributing governmental functions.
Regarding the issue of illegal mining, he called for a concerted effort to combat the problem effectively, stressing the urgency of implementing more stringent measures.
Speaking at a public lecture at the University of Ghana, he quizzed “Over 67 years, what is the Ministry of Agriculture doing in Accra, what is the Ministry of Lands and Resources doing in Accra? What is the Forestry Commission doing in Accra?”
“I have made suggestions that move these ministries and spread them all across different regions this way we can create new townships, real estate will be developed, commerce will go on and people will stay where they are to work.
“How can we build a national economy that excludes 75% of our population who live in the rural areas wallowing in poverty and hopelessness? They have no chance. There is no job.
“If the government is going to be the biggest employer, I suggest we bring these ministries,” he said.