Former deputy AG supports inclusion of queen mothers in chieftaincy council

Ghana's former Deputy Attorney General Alfred Tuah-Yeboah has called for Queen Mothers to be formally represented in the National House of Chiefs.

Speaking during the 7th Annual Queen Mother’s workshop organized in Sunyani by the Konrad Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Ghana Office on the theme " Contemporary Role of Traditional Authorities in Ghana", Tuah-Yeboah argued that it is time for Queen Mothers to challenge in court their exclusion from the National House of Chiefs.

"The Constitution recognizes that when we speak of a 'chief,' the Queen Mother is also included in that definition. If I am given the opportunity to amend the Chieftaincy Act, I would ensure Queen Mothers gain representation in both the Regional and National Houses of Chiefs to strengthen development and conflict resolution.

Queen Mothers are often only consulted when all other avenues have been exhausted. However, I believe they should be involved from the beginning to the end of every process to fully exercise their judgment.

It is high time the Queen Mothers unite and challenge this in court", he added.

The Country Representative of KAS Ghana, Anna Lena Sabroso-Wasserfall highlighted on their commitment to the promotion of democratic participation and civic education in Ghana, hence their collaboration with Traditional Authorities in the country.

"Over the decades, KAS has organised workshops, conferences, and dialogue forums with Traditional Authorities throughout Ghana on a wide range of issues.

These have included discussions on the role of Traditional Authorities within Ghana’s modern political system, the constitutional role of Traditional Authorities, and the role of Chiefs and Queen Mothers as mediators in conflict prevention and resolution.

We have worked together on issues of social cohesion, on the prevention of election-related violence, and most recently, we concluded an almost two-year workshop series dedicated to combating the growing challenge of misinformation and disinformation — a challenge that increasingly threatens trust, unity, and democratic discourse within our societies.

Today’s workshop marks the beginning of a new project cycle that builds on this important legacy of cooperation.

Over the coming years, we will focus even more strongly on the contemporary role of Traditional Authorities in development, conflict prevention, legal recognition, and inclusive participation, she stated.

On her part, the host of the workshop, Nana Yaa Ansua III, Secretary of the National Queen Mothers Association and President of the Bono Queen Mothers Platform, lamented on the lack of recognition and support for Queen Mothers.

"Queen Mothers are often denied stipends from the sale of stool properties, weakening us financially. Some lawyers undermine our arbitration powers by advising clients not to respond to summons from the palace, leading to disrespect toward queen mothers", she bemoaned.

The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Ghana Office will this year celebrate its 60th anniversary in Ghana with preparations for the celebrations underway.

The Foundation officially opened their office here in 1966, making Ghana one of their oldest and most important partner countries on the African continent.