Let us obey the Constitution – Chiefs urged

The Guantoahene of the Gomoa Ajumako Traditional Area, Nana Gomoaba Apata Kofi V, has appealed to Chiefs to accept the challenge to stay clear from active politics as prescribed by the constitution.

This, Nana Apata Kofi said, would assist chiefs to command more respect from the citizenry when addressing political issues involving grassroots leaders and supporters of the various political divide in their towns and villages.

In a New Year message, Nana Apata Kofi admitted that as human as chiefs were, they have political parties of their choice, but that did not permit them to exhibit their political sentiments publicly.

The Guantoahene explained that what the constitution specifically wanted Chiefs as custodians of the country’s rich cultural heritage, customs and traditions to do was to act as parents and chief advisers of all political groupings in the country, hence the need for chiefs to strive always to control their political feelings at public gatherings and other sensitive places.

Nana Apata Kofi said that when chiefs exhibit their partisan feelings at public places more often than not, it tends to sow seeds of discord among their citizens and, in some cases, even create more serious challenges which eventually retard progress of their towns and villages.

“This is the reason why the architects of the constitution in their collective wisdom and in the interest of effective national development, inserted the section of the constitution which prevent chiefs from playing active role in the political parties of their choice,” the Guantoahene said.

The message reminded Ghanaians, especially Gomoa-Pomadze citizens at home and outside, of the need to comport themselves in all their political discussions with their fellow Ghanaians to ensure a successful election year.

Nana Apata Kofi advised the citizenry to let the spirit of unity and oneness guide them all the time, saying that, “We should not forget the slogan, one people, one nation, with a common destiny”.

The Guantoahene charged Ghanaians to use politics to improve the socio-economic lot of the country and not to use it to destroy it.