Gazetting of chiefs does not affect outcome of cases pending against them - Registrar

The Volta Regional House of Chiefs says entering the names of chiefs onto the national register has no bearing on cases pending against them.

The pronouncement comes on the back of a recent gazetting, and subsequent induction into the House of ten new paramount chiefs, which had culminated in a series of agitations in some traditional areas, where their positions were being contended.

A resolution by the National House of Chiefs to remove two questions from the Chieftaincy Declaration Forms (CDF) enabled some chiefs whose positions were opposed to get registered.

Mr Harry Attipoe, the Registrar of the House, in a press statement, said the removal of the two questions was an administrative move to improve the chieftaincy institution, and placed no weight on legal contentions.

“It has come to the notice of the Volta Region House of Chiefs that there are concerns being raised about the entry of the names of chiefs onto the National Register of Chiefs, notwithstanding the pendency of cases against such chiefs, by virtue of the removal of the questions from the Chieftaincy Declaration Forms...,” he said.

“The entry of names of chiefs and Queen mothers on the National Register of Chiefs is a purely administrative process and it has no legal effect or ought to have any effect whatsoever on any pending case against the gazette chief or queenmother.”

Questions numbered 11 and 12 on the CDF, and which sought evidence of “suit and forum” against a chief, had been removed.

Togbe Tepre Hodo IV, President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, addressing a quarterly meeting shortly after the statement was issued, said the House only implemented the directive from the National House of Chief and would remain for a year to access it is bearing on the institution.

“The reason they were taken out was the abuse to which we thought those questions were being put by some parties to some of these disputes before the judicial committees...” he said.

“They file these things and some of them do not even pursue them, and the community over which the chief is supposed to superintend is left in limbo.”

Togbe Hodo told the GNA that the House, with the needed logistical support, could clear all disputes pending in the region.

The Registrar said the region deserved commendation for having the highest number of chiefs yet the lowest rate of chieftaincy disputes in the country.