Explore ADR to resolve disputes:Prez Mahama urges chiefs
President John Mahama has urged factions in chieftaincy disputes to explore the possibility of settling their differences using Alternative Dispute Resolutions (ADR), instead of the courts.
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He noted that settling chieftaincy disputes through the courts might not be acceptable to all the factions in a dispute and, therefore, commended the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs for intervening and mediating in chieftaincy issues in the region.
The President was addressing members of the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs (UERHC) in Bolgatanga yesterday as part of his two-day tour of the region.
He was accompanied by his wife, Lordina Mahama; the Chief of Staff, Mr Julius Debrah; the Minister of the Interior, Mr Mark Woyongo, and the Minister of Communications, Dr Edward Omane-Boamah.
Other members of his entourage were the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr James Tiigah; his deputy, Mr Daniel Syme, and the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia.
President Mahama noted that when the government eventually enforced a pronouncement by the court on a particular chieftaincy matter, it might not yield the desired results and so "it is better to ensure consensus building and understanding using the ADR because I have always said that the courts are not the best places to resolve chieftaincy disputes”.
He said there were times when cases became so protracted that the factions did not have any option but to settle issues at the courts.
"Just bringing people together and talking about an issue allows them to resolve things in a manner different from the situation where the factions in the dispute are not talking to each other. This precipitates a communication gap between the factions and they engage lawyers and so litigation and conflict continue," the President observed.
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He thanked the UERHC for the prevailing peace in the region, in spite of the chieftaincy disputes.
Disputes
The President of the house, Naba Sigri Bewong, said the house had mediated in the Mirigu, Sirigu, Paga-Navio and Kologo disputes but stated that mediation efforts in the Bolgatanga chieftaincy dispute failed in May this year.
He said the house had, therefore, empanelled a three-member judicial committee, as required by law, to go into that matter.
Naba Bewong commended the Mahama administration for "its untiring efforts to prosecute its policy of a Better Ghana agenda aimed at making the country a better place.
"We are also aware of your travels abroad just to woo investors into our country; we also know that you are working hard to complete the Eastern Corridor roads, extend electricity to every village, as well as the nationwide construction of senior high schools in newly created districts.
"We also know the challenges you are going through as a government, particularly the power crisis, and we urge you not to be distracted by negative comments but remain steadfast in your efforts to end the crisis," he said.
Naba Bewong, who is also the Sekoti Naba, commended the government for providing the UERHC with a lawyer, saying, "We used to rely on counsel for the Northern Regional House of Chiefs."
Road
He drew the government's attention to the poor road network in the region, particularly the Bolgatanga-Bawku road, Bolgatanga town roads and the Navrongo road connecting to Wa in the Upper West Region.
Touching on the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital, Naba Bewong said there was the need to provide it with equipment to enhance its operations.
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The Bawku Naba, Asigri Abugrago Azoka II, reiterated the need for the Bolgatanga-Bawku road to be completed, since Bawku was a commercial town surrounded by border communities.
The Paramount Chief of the Bongo Traditional Area, Naba Baba Salifu Aleemyarum, for his part, appealed to the government to complete the tarring of the Bongo road.
He appealed to President Mahama to help check the charging of what he described as exorbitant fees by senior high schools, saying that "in the Bongo District, they are charging GH¢1,000”.
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