Omanhene of Sefwi-Bekwai Elected National House of Chiefs' President

Odeneho Gyapong Ababio 11, Omanhene of Sefwi-Bekwai Traditional Area in the Western Region was on Tuesday elected President of the National House of Chiefs for a three-year term.

He polled 27 out of the 45 votes cast as against 15 by Professor John S. Nabila, Wulugu Naba and three votes by Nana Kwame Nkyi X11, Omanhene of Assin Apinaman.

The post of Vice-President went to Kaleo-Na Banamini Sandu II of Kaleo in the Upper West Region who was elected unopposed after Nii Tetteh Otu 11, Kpone Mantse in the Greater Accra Region withdrew his candidature just before the start of the elections conducted by the Electoral Commission.

Addressing the House after the election, Alhaji Muktar Bamba, Deputy Minister for Presidential Affairs, noted that the institution of Chieftaincy had over the years been plagued with numerous disputes some of which had resulted in violent conflicts with disastrous consequences.

He said a total of 44 cases were pending before the House on appeal from various Regional Houses of Chiefs while there were 171 cases pending before the Regional Houses of Chiefs as at December last year.

In addition to these, the Deputy Minister said, there were also cases pending before almost every traditional council in the country, saying that he was reliably informed that, "Every case that is handled at the traditional council level goes on appeal to the relevant Regional House of Chiefs".

Alhaji Bamba observed that conflicts of various types were bound to occur in various traditional areas but it behoved Nananom to evolve certain far-reaching measures to eliminate the problems militating against the institution.

He called on the Chiefs to also evolve a new land policy that would address the issue of land acquisition, tenure and ownership and thus reduce to the barest minimum the land litigation, which was retarding development in the country.

Mr Kwadwo Sarfo-Kantanka, Deputy Chairman of the EC in charge of operations, urged the chiefs to lead their people in the efforts to remove negative tendencies from the electoral administration to bring democracy home to Ghanaians.

Mr Justice G. M. Quaye, Supervising High Court in Ashanti Region, who swore in the new President and the other members of the House commended Otumfuo Osei Tutu 11, Asantehene for his foresight in setting up the Otumfuo Education Fund and asked the chiefs to go into the provision of other socio-economic development projects. The newly elected President called for support and co-operation from members of the House.