Chiefs asked to use ADR to settle chieftaincy cases

Koforidua, Dec 18, GNA- The President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, Oseedeayo Addo Dankwa III, on Thursday called on traditional rulers to apply the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to settle chieftaincy cases.

He said although chieftaincy conflicts and disputes cannot be completely eliminated since chieftaincy is a human institution and cannot claim perfection, it can be managed to reduce disputes and conflicts to the barest minimum.

Oseedeayo Addo Dankwa, who is also the Omanhene of the Akuapem Traditional Area, said this in a speech read on his behalf at the end-of-year meeting of the House at Koforidua on Thursday. He spoke of the meagre allowance being paid to the chiefs and appealed to the Director of the Chieftaincy Secretariat, as a matter of urgency, to increase the allowances in order to motivate them to perform their duties effectively.

He said many people are losing interest in the chieftaincy institution due to the rampart chieftaincy disputes and some of these disputes have generated into bloody confrontations forcing the government to declare a state of emergency. Oseedeayo Addo Dankwa suggested to them to go into poultry, livestock, oil palm and citrus cultivation early next year to serve as an income-generating project to supplement government's funding of the house.

He hoped that the chiefs would sacrifice and contribute towards the project.

Registrar of the House, Mr Kwasi Sarkodieh Opoku, appealed to the Chieftaincy Secretariat to increase allowances of chiefs, improve the working conditions of the staff and increase their salaries, provide transport and research materials and office equipment for traditional councils to enable them perform effectively.

He said out of 22 cases pending before the House only four of them had been disposed of. 18 Dec 03