MMDCEs must involve chiefs in decision making - Daasebre Ewusi

Daasebre Kwebu Ewusi VII, President of the Central Regional House of Chiefs, has called on metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs), to involve paramount chiefs in the planning and implementation of developmental projects in their communities.

He said chiefs were not in the communities only to rule but to help with the development needs of the people, therefore; it was imperative for MMDCEs to seek their views, opinions and concerns when embarking on a development project.

He said refusal to involve chiefs in such projects made them feel neglected and disappointed.

Daasebre Ewusi said this on Thursday at the closing of a three-day training workshop for chiefs, queen mothers, MMDCEs and assembly members in Cape Coast organized by Conservation Foundation, Ghana, a Non-Governmental Organization.

The workshop, which was on the theme: “Bridging the Gap in Community Development,” afforded participants the opportunity to deliberate on issues facing their various communities and to find solutions to them.

They also had the opportunity to address gaps between chiefs and elected representatives at the community and district levels.

Daasebre Ewusi said disputes were a major factor that contributed to poverty and, therefore, called on all the MMDCEs and assembly members, to help the chiefs settle all disputes that may arise in their communities to bring peace.

He said it was the priority of the House of Chiefs to minimize litigation and advised individuals to send any dispute to their local chiefs for an amicable solution who would in turn send it to the House of Chiefs when the need arose instead of sending their disputes to the law courts.

He said the workshop had yielded good results because it had brought the queen mothers closer to the chiefs and that both groups needed the assistance of the other to enable them to govern their communities in peace.

Daasebre Ewusi said measures were being put in place, to hold a similar workshop for security agencies and chiefs to come out with pragmatic programmes that would help handle issues in the communities.

Mr Osei Yaw Owusu-Sekyere, Executive Director of Conservation Foundation, expressed worry over the perceived ‘bad relationship’ between the assembly members and some chiefs, describing it as a setback and urged them to work hand in hand to develop their various communities.

He appealed to communities to endeavour to support their chiefs and queen mothers in settling disputes.