Live your name, Nana
Chiefs have played a very important role in the country since pre-colonial times.
This includes their critical contribution to the independence struggle and beyond.
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They have been the custodians of our customs, traditions and culture and also known for their ability to mobilise their people for development.
There are different kinds of chiefs; those who are enstooled because they are from royal families and those who have been honoured by the people because of their contribution to the development of their communities and other areas. They are known as development chiefs.
The main functions of chiefs however, have included dispute settlement, organisation of festivals, communal labour and some socio-economic activities which have brought development to their areas.
They also serve as institutional memories of their communities/people.
Depending on their clout, some of them contribute to the education of many in their jurisdiction through scholarships and educational foundations.
Some also lobby government for development projects for their communities. The projects include roads, markets, hospitals, police stations, schools and even employment for the youth.
The role of chiefs which contributed to the thriving of the slave trade has been consigned to history and we seem to have moved on.
But unfortunately, the positive role that chiefs play and their positive influence are now the preserve of an insignificant number of chiefs with the majority dabbling in all manner of anti-social activities.
This has led to the dwindling of respect for them and the authority they are supposed to wield.
Some chiefs have been engaged in the sale of lands they should be holding in trust for the people and worse of all, sold these lands to multiple buyers with money being the only motivation.
Some have done this without thinking about the future of their people, especially the youth.
They have even gone to the extent of selling land meant for social projects such as recreation grounds for the entire community.
Such sale and the pocketing of royalties rather than its use for the common good have led to numerous land disputes and the phenomenon of land guards.
Instead of being a symbol of peace and unity , some chiefs have become the reason for the numerous unending conflicts that this country has seen culminating in the destruction of lives and property and creating refugee status for many, especially women and children.
With such conflicts, it has become impossible for communities to improve their lot and they have remained poor with very little or no development.
Some chiefs have been cited for the role they have played in the galamsey menace resulting in the degradation of the environment and destruction of water bodies.
One would have thought that chiefs would be at the forefront of fighting the insanitary conditions in their various communities to reduce the filth that has engulfed the whole country but it seems that their interests are different.
It is sad that some chiefs dress in full regalia, expensive cloths, gold ornament and intriguing Ahenema ( native sandals )only to walk through filth to the durbar grounds for functions in their communities.
In contrast to the high morals society expects of chiefs , it is very unfortunate to hear of some of them involved in cases of rape and defilement in the media. One of such case was recently reported in the media in which the chief of Freso, a farming community in the Ashanti Region, was arrested by the police for allegedly defiling a 12-year-old girl.
Instead of being the protectors of the vulnerable, some of them have been the perpetrators of various vices which are a complete departure from how chiefs are expected to behave and hold themselves.
Some of them have been found dabbling in visa racketeering and political harlotry.These acts have whittled down the respect and high esteem that society has generally held them.
Times have changed and Ghanaians have become more discerning . I am, therefore, of the view that it is not enough for a chief to be satisfied with just being a ceremonial head but must be a catalyst for positive change and development.
Modernity demands more from chiefs if they are to remain relevant in our contemporary society.
I am seeing a situation where the relevance of the chieftaincy institution would soon be questioned by society if things remain the way they are. And the country would have lost a great institution due to the acts and omissions of some chiefs.
Writer’s E-mail: [email protected]/[email protected]