National House of Chiefs discusses customary laws

Kumasi, Aug. 25, GNA - A two-day workshop for members of the National House of Chiefs to discuss the processes to be adopted for the codification of customary laws on land opened in Kumasi on Thursday. It is a follow-up to a workshop, which was held in June this year at Aburi.

It is being organised by the National House of Chiefs in collaboration with the Land Administration Project (LAP) of the Ministry of Lands, Forestry and Mines, the Attorney General's Department with the support from GTZ, a German non-governmental organisation. It was on the theme: "Ascertainment of Customary Law in Ghana II". Opening it, Odeneho Gyapong Ababio, President of the House, said it was the responsibility of the House to document customary law and harmonise it.

He said, however, that due to several reasons, not much had been achieved to fulfil this mandate and it was imperative for members to support the initiative from the sponsors to assist in documenting customary laws as far as land was concerned. Odeneho Gyapong Ababio said this would go a long way to enable them to reduce land litigation, enhance certainty about access to land and promote investment.

He said with the continued support from GTZ, the House would be able to complete the project and stressed the need for members not to be deterred with problems and challenges involved. Dr Mechthild Ruenger, Programme Leader of GTZ, said her organisation would need the fullest support of the House to ensure the success of the project.

She said the workshop was the conclusion stages of the feasibility studies on the codification of customary law on land. Dr Ruenger called for co-operation and effective collaboration from all stakeholders to get actively involved in the project to ensure the needed impart on customary law was achieved.