Ministry to support the modernization of chieftaincy institution

Koforidua, April 24, GNA - The Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs would support the modernization of the chieftaincy institution to make it relevant to the current trend of development in the country. The Minister for Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Sampson K. Boafo, said this when opening of a two-day regional stakeholders seminar on the interface between traditional authorities and the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies(MMDA's) at Koforidua on Tuesday. The workshop was organized by the ministries of Chieftaincy and Local Government, Rural Development and Environment for traditional leaders, Municipal and District Chief executives to foster consultations and coordination between the two institutions for development. He said research had showed that 70 per cent of the Ghanaian population wanted the chieftaincy institution, which had been the pivot around which the Ghanaian society revolved, to be maintained. Mr Boafo expressed the hope that issues to be addressed at the seminar would enlighten the chiefs and queen mothers on matters relevant to the people for rapid development.

The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Yaw Barimah, said looking at the role the chieftaincy institution played many years ago, its usefulness could not be overlooked because it still remained vibrant. He said what was important now was how to recognize the role of the institution and strike a balance between the democratic practices and the traditional system of governance to achieved a harmonized development of the two.

Mr Barimah said the chieftaincy institution could be modernized without necessarily westernising it to suppress the cultural values which the people cherished.

The Omanhene of the New Juaben Traditional area, Daasebre Oti Boateng, said the chieftaincy institution needed to be nurtured and empowered to partner government in a more meaningful way. He said the institution as it stood now made the traditional authorities tangential in the system because it was not involved in the decentralization structure and called for more defined role for the institution.

As means of involving the traditional authority in the decentralization system, he suggested that the paramountcy at every district should be made to officially open and close sessions of the district assemblies.

"By so doing, the traditional authority will be informed of the structures of development laid for their respective areas and that will strengthen the institution as well as make governance cheaper." Daasebre Oti Boateng said the main challenge for Ghana as it transversed the half-century mark was how to make the decentralization process more meaningful and accessible to all.