Veep commissions new Western Region House of Chiefs

Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has inaugurated the new Western Region House of Chiefs in Takoradi.

This was necessitated due to the creation of the Western North Region.

The former Western Region House of Chiefs was dissolved on Tuesday, September 15, 2020, after it held its final meeting, and a new one, comprising only traditional authorities in the Western Region was inaugurated by the Vice President.

The traditional authorities whose jurisdiction fall within the newly created Western North Region would be inaugurated by President Akufo-Addo by the end of the month.

Addressing the Chiefs after their inauguration, Vice President Bawumia said, despite the controversies and challenges that the chieftaincy institution had experienced over the years, it was still a relevant body, making massive contributions towards the development of the country.

"I do not hesitate to state that Chieftaincy has, and will be an indispensable part of our history and development," Dr. Bawumia stated.

Vice President Bawumia re-affirmed the Akufo-Addo government's belief in the Chieftaincy institution as an integral part of the nation’s development process, especially in its democratic dispensation.

Dr Bawumia also enumerated a number of interventions the government had undertaken to enhance the image of the chieftaincy institution since assuming office in 2017.

"Government recognised that to ensure the success of social and economic transformation, It is important we bring the traditional role of our Chiefs into the modern constitutional set up to govern our country," Dr. Bawumia emphasised.

"As a start, we pledged, in the NPP’s 2016 Manifesto, to increase the monthly allowances paid to Chiefs and the quarterly budgetary support to the Traditional Councils and Houses of Chiefs. This we have done by 100 per cent.

"Government has also assisted the National House of Chiefs with GH¢3.5 million for the completion of its new headquarters office complex in Kumasi.

"Government is also committed to assisting the National House of Chiefs to move speedily on finishing the work on the codification of the traditional norms and rules that have guided our communities throughout the ages," he stated.

The Ministry, he said, in collaboration with the National House of Chiefs had also begun the process of digitising records of the National House of Chiefs, particularly records in the National Register of Chiefs.

He added that the Chieftaincy Ministry had instituted a programme to have courses run on Chieftaincy development, comprising lectures, seminars, and other activities, to build the capacity of Chiefs and all persons with interests in the Chieftaincy institution, "Dr Bawumia said.

The Vice President, however, expressed misgivings about numerous chieftaincy litigations that disrupt development efforts and urged the Judicial Committees of the various houses of chiefs to make stringent efforts to resolve all pending disputes amicably.

"We need as a matter of urgency, an efficient and well-functioning regime of titling, fixing of boundaries, and ownership tracing, "Dr Bawumia said.