Minister urges chiefs to be sensitive to their people needs

Billaw, (UWR), April 14, GNA - Mr Mahmud Khalid, Upper West Regional Minister, has urged traditional rulers to endeavour to meet the basic needs and aspirations of their people, which give a true meaning to the chieftaincy institution.

He said many people see the institution as a source of inspiration and hope but regretted that those qualities were fading adding that, something needed to be done about the situation. Mr Khalid made the call during the enskinment of Kuoro Hillah Forkoh III, a divisional chief of Billaw in the Lambussie Traditional Area on Sunday.

The Regional Minister said the chieftaincy institution had come under intense criticism due to the numerous disputes in the country that keep eroding its good image.

Chieftaincy disputes, Mr Khalid said were not only impacting negatively on the socio-economic development, but also causing a drain on the national coffers, especially when they escalated into conflicts. He said as a result, some people have questioned the importance of the institution in the socio-economic development of a country. "Our noble chiefs have to work hard to restore the image of the institution by emulating other excellent traditional leaders like the Asantehene, the Okyehene and the Agbogbomefia, who have served as important agents of change and development in the country," he said. Mr Khalid said government would support the chieftaincy institution through collaboration with the various houses of chiefs to enable them to address their challenges.

He said government also expected chiefs to lead the crusade against ignorance, poverty and environmental degradation in their traditional areas to improve the people's living conditions.

Kuoro Forkoh III thanked the people of Billaw for choosing him to lead them without rancour and bitterness that sometimes characterised similar events in other parts of the country. "Members of the Billaw community cannot afford to waste scarce resources and time over the selection of a leader. I pray that the love and affection continues to bind us together for other communities to emulate our example," he said.

Kuoro Forkoh III promised to be a selfless, dedicated and committed leader as well as pursued justice, peace, unity and security for his people.

He said poverty, illiteracy, ignorance, disease and initiation of self-help projects would be priority areas for him in order to improve the living conditions of his people. Kuoro Forkoh III appealed to government to connect the community to the national electricity grid and rehabilitate the Billaw dam to support farmers during the dry season.

He said this would help to create employment for the youth and discouraged the youth from migrating to the southern part of the country in search of non-existent jobs.

Kuoro Forkoh III also appealed to government to rehabilitate the road network in the area to facilitate economic activities. He praised the European Union for providing residential accommodation for nurses working at the Billaw Community Clinic. The Lambussie Kuoro, Iddrisu Bamia, Paramount Chief of the Lambussie Traditional Area, enskinned the Kuoro Forkoh and presented him with a walking stick which symbolizes his authority. Kuoro Forkoh III, known in private life as Hillah Manoh Mohammed, is a Warrant Officer class One (WO1) in the Ghana Army.