The Savannah Regional Minister, Salisu Be-Awuribe Esq., has reaffirmed government policy requiring all regional offices of state institutions to be located in their respective regional capitals, stressing that the approach is critical to effective coordination, efficiency, and the prudent use of public resources.
According to the Minister, regional capitals serve as the administrative nerve centres of their regions, and the practice of siting regional offices in distant districts under the guise of promoting development rather weakens institutional coordination and undermines service delivery.
“Let us not deceive ourselves that locating a regional office in a district far away is development. It is not. It is inefficient, costly, and unsustainable, especially for a young and emerging region that requires strong coordination,” Salisu Be-Awuribe Esq. stated.
He explained that the establishment of branch offices outside regional capitals would only be permitted where there is a clear and compelling operational necessity.
Even in such cases, the main regional office must remain fully functional in the regional capital, with oversight and coordination responsibilities firmly maintained.
In line with this policy direction, several key state institutions have either commenced operations or are in the process of establishing their regional offices in Damongo, the Savannah Regional Capital.
These include the National Investigation Bureau (NIB), the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Lands Commission, and the Energy Commission, which is expected to begin setting up its office shortly.
The Minister further disclosed that in early January, the Ghana Passport Office is expected to commission its Savannah Regional Passport Office in Damongo, a move that will further strengthen the institutional presence of the government in the regional capital.
Addressing existing facilities that are wrongly sited outside the capital, Salisu Be-Awuribe Esq. announced a series of corrective measures. He said the Regional Health Directorate building at Daboya will no longer operate as a regional office.
Instead, it will be re-designated as a District Health Directorate, with part of the facility allocated to the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) for use as a district office.
Similarly, the feeder roads facility at Salaga will not function as a regional office. The structure will be reassigned for an appropriate public use, while the official regional office remains in Damongo.
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) Regional Directorate, currently located near Doli in the Bole District, will also cease operating as a regional directorate.
In collaboration with the Bole District Assembly, the facility will be reassigned to another public institution, while MoFA’s Regional Office continues its operations in Damongo.
The Minister emphasized that dispersing regional offices across districts such as Bole or Salaga places unnecessary financial and administrative burdens on the region, particularly as Savannah continues to consolidate its governance and institutional structures.
“This is not the time to dilute our limited resources in the name of symbolic decentralisation. What we need now is coordination, efficiency, and focus,” he stressed.
He assured residents that the government remains committed to equitable development across all districts in the Savannah Region, noting that development must be strategic, efficient, and sustainable, rather than driven by misplaced symbolism.
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