Chief blames chieftaincy conflicts to succession failure

Fiapre (B/A) Oct. 5, GNA - The Paramount Chief of Dwenem Traditional Area in the Brong-Ahafo Region, has urged Queen mothers to do extensive consultation before nominating candidates for enstoolment as chiefs to prevent chieftaincy succession disputes. Nana Bofo Bene IV observed that lack of proper and transparent consultation by queen-mothers and king-makers in the installation of royals had been a major contributory factor bedevilling the nation's chieftaincy institution, particularly in the region. Nana Bene, also an educationist was speaking during on "nomination, selection or election, enstoolment and destoolment of chiefs" at a day's workshop on conflict management for 25 paramount and divisional queen-mothers in the region.

The workshop was organised by the Brong-Ahafo Regional Peace Advisory Council (RPAC) and sponsored by the United Nation's Development Programme, to build the capacity of queen-mothers in the prevention and management of chieftaincy succession disputes. Nana Bene noted that "a chief must be someone from the appropriate royal lineage who has been validly nominated, selected or elected and enstooled in accordance with the relevant customary laws". He said the old practice of kidnapping a royal irrespective of his educational background and forcibly installing him as chief had become a thing of the past.

He therefore urged the queen-mothers to place higher premium on education, explaining that a chief with the requisite educational background is an asset to facilitate rapid socio- economic development. Nana Bene said a chief could be destooled if substantive charges are brought against him and not mere allegations. He said the rule of natural justice should be applied in the destoolment efforts.

Oboaman Bofotia Amponsem II, Krontihene of Sunyani Traditional Area, who chaired the opening ceremony observed that failure of some paramount chiefs to give due recognition to the important roles of divisional chiefs such as the "Krontire", "Akwamu" and "Gyaase" gave rise to chieftaincy disputes.

He stated that every paramountcy constitute of a State, explaining that "a state cannot consist of only the paramount royal family". Monsignor Marfo Gyimah, Chairman of the RPAC complained about the numerous chieftaincy problems in the region, threatening peace and security.

He said the problem had led to chieftaincy and land disputes, unemployment, disunity and other forms of social conflicts. Monsignor Gyimah revealed that currently there are about 56 chieftaincy disputes being adjudicated at the Regional House of Chiefs and the High Courts, adding that some of the cases are becoming "long-standing and about 30 years running" and stood the chance of becoming intractable.

Mr Suallah Abdallah Quandah, Secretary of RPAC and facilitator at the workshop took participants through topics including "understanding conflict", 'theories of conflict", "what comes to mind at the mention or hearing of conflict", "some positive views of conflict", and "position of conflict".

Other topics were "causes of conflict - (relationship and content issues)", "Chieftaincy conflict", "causes of chieftaincy conflicts/succession problems", as well as "prevention and management of chieftaincy disputes". Nana Yaa Nyamaah II, Queen-mother of Sunyani, said in an interview that some chiefs do not give queen-mothers their due and sometimes offer their rightful roles to their wives. This she said breeds bitterness and consequently result to conflict.