Asantehene expresses worry over non-payment of royalties

Kumasi, Dec. 20, GNA - The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu 11, has expressed grave concern about the inability of the Administrator of Stool Lands to pay appropriate and timely royalties to beneficiary stools and skins in the country.

He said the irregularities in the payment of the royalties had become a source of worry to chiefs and was hampering their developmental efforts.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu attributed the problem to the payment of royalties into the Consolidated Fund and suggested the creation of a separate account into which royalties could be paid to ensure that the money was disbursed only for the payment of royalties to the beneficiary stools and skins.

Addressing the end of year meeting of the Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs in Kumasi on Wednesday, Otumfuo Osei Tutu, who is also the President of the House, bemoaned the huge sums of arrears in royalty payments to stools and skins and said some stools had not yet received full payment of royalties due for 2003, while those for the 2004 to 2006 were still outstanding.

He said most chiefs were unable to undertake development projects due to the lack of funds.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu appealed to the Administrator of Stool Lands to provide statement of accounts on royalties paid for stool lands to enable chiefs to know the appropriate amount due them.

He also called for the inclusion of the views of chiefs and important customary laws on the draft chieftaincy amendment bill and said chiefs as major stakeholders had it as a duty to contribute to the promulgation of laws that would affect them.

The Asantehene also called for the active involvement of chiefs in the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes at the grassroots to promote effective governance at the local level. Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, Minister for Chieftaincy and Culture, praised chiefs for their continuous roles in the promotion of good governance and leadership.

He said the Ministry was created to give chiefs the needed support by providing logistics and equipment that would promote the chieftaincy institution.

Mr Boafo appealed to chiefs to ensure that communities were kept clean at all times to prevent communicable diseases in their areas. Justice Yaw Apau, Supervising High Court Judge in Kumasi, cautioned chiefs against engaging in active partisan politics and said that would erode the respect and recognition of the chieftaincy institution. He urged chiefs to desist from interfering in the adjudication of criminal and other cases and allow the law to take its course. Mr Justice Apau also appealed to chiefs to impress upon their district assemblies to provide decent court rooms and accommodation for judges in their areas.