Chiefs & party politics

The Ghanaian Chronicle claims that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is continuously flouting the letter and spirit of the 1992 Constitution by appointing reigning chiefs into active political positions. Examples include Nana Akuoko Sarpong, the Presidential staff on Chieftaincy Affairs who is the chief of Agogo in the Asante Akyim district of the Ashanti Region, and Mr Harry Sawyer, the Minister of Education, who is reputed to be a chief in the Ga traditional area.

The latest allegation concerns Nana Adjei, Sanaahene of Agona Nyakrom who was recently elected as the NDC chairman for the Agona-West constituency.

Article 26(1) of the constitution reads: "a chief shall not take part in active party politics; and any chief wishing to do so and seeking election to Parliament shall abdicate his stool or skin".

Nana Adjei, known in private as E.K. Koomson, is also a civil servant working at the Tema Town & Country Planning office in Accra. Again the constitution also expects civil servants wishing to partake in active party politics to resign. But Mr Koomson who is also a property developer, has flouted the constitution again by not resigning, claims the paper.