The programme held on the theme: “The referendum we want,” was sponsored by Star Ghana with the aim of educating the public on the referendum and the election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCES).

Representatives from the Electoral Commission (EC), the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), NGOS, Civil Society Organisations, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and Traditional rulers among other institutions took part in the programme.

Mr Alhassan Mohammed Awal, the Executive Director of NORSAAC, said the programme was one of many governance related projects that NORSAAC was implementing in parts of the country to ensure its reflection on the lives of the people.

NORSAAC would partner organisations like Community Development Alliance (CDA), he said, to reduce the unacceptable poverty indicators of the Upper West Region by empowering women and young people.

He added that as the nation was preparing for series of referenda in future which would undoubtedly affect the economic and social lives of the citizens, especially in areas that would experience re-demarcations, the citizenry deserved the right to know the process in order to exercise their franchise.

He said NORSAAC would build capacities of Civil Society Organisations to achieve inclusion and effective participation of citizens in the upcoming regional demarcation.

The Deputy Upper West Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, Mr Ali Osman, said the Commission is adequately prepared for the referendum exercise as it has been resourced to undertake the task.

He added that limited voter registration exercise was underway in the affected regions for people who have attained 18 years and above to take part of the forthcoming referendum.

It would be recalled that prior to the 2016 elections, the New Patriotic Party government promised to create six additional regions and also introduce a legal framework to pave way for the election of MMDCES to facilitate development.

Justice Brobey Commission of Enquiry instituted by government to look into the regional demarcations, recommended for splitting of Bono East and Ahafo regions both in the Brong-Ahafo region, Savanna and North East regions from the Northern Region, Western North from Western Region and the Oti Region from the Volta Region.