Chieftaincy fund proposal before parliament in May
The Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs is expected to table a Bill in Parliament next month for the setting up of a chieftaincy fund to support chiefs in the delivery of their mandate in their communities.
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The fund is also intended to help in the training of chiefs in modern methods of conflict resolution and administration of justice, including simple procedures such as filing cases in court and their role as mediators in the settlement of disputes in their traditional areas.
This will be accompanied by the appropriate facilities such as vehicles and other logistics for the regional houses of chiefs. The sector Minister, Stephen Asamoah Boateng, disclosed this in Ho last Friday prior to a general meeting with the Volta Regional House of Chiefs (VRHC).
“The government attaches great importance to chieftaincy and their roles in managing our communities, and so it is only proper we build the capacity of our chiefs through regular learning for them to make impact in the communities,” the minister said.
Mr Asamoah Boateng consequently called on chiefs to maintain a united front all the time and to collaborate with the government to maintain the peace in the country, especially in the countdown to the general election.
Focusing on the Volta Region, he said the threat of secession must not be tolerated at any time, stressing that the chiefs had already done a lot to quell that threat, and were still expected to play active roles in informing the government of any possible re-emergence of terrorist groups in their traditional areas.
“Extremists take advantage of chaotic areas; and we look up to our chiefs to keep all forms of disorder and agitation away from their domain in the national interest,” Mr Asamoah Boateng told the house.
The Minister said the country could not be built without the active involvement of the traditional authorities. For instance, he said, the traditional courts could not be thrown away and the modification of certain customs required massive contributions from chiefs.
Mr Asamoah Boateng touched on tourism, which he said required land, and that also highlighted the crucial role of chiefs, in many cases, the custodians of land. Similarly, he said, the success of the Planting for Food and Jobs Phase 2 policy was based on the availability of land, and that it also made the involvement of chiefs critical.
Queenmothers
Mr Asamoah Boateng said the ministry equally attached great value to the role of queenmothers, whose impact in areas such as girl-child education could not be undervalued. In that vein, he said queenmothers would be assigned various development roles under the fund.
The President of the VRHC, Togbe Tepre Hodo IV, expressed misgivings over the long delays by the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs in inaugurating the traditional councils, and said giving the mandate to the houses of chiefs to perform the inaugural ceremonies would save time and be appropriate.
The Vice-President of the VRHC, Togbe Patamia Dzekley VII, who is the Paramount Chief of Battor, entreated politicians to avoid using inflammatory language on their campaign platforms in the lead-up to the 2024 general election in order not to threaten the peace of the country.
“All we need to know from you is your vision for the country as you seek power, and not how you despise your perceived political opponents,” he added.