Distance Ellembelle MP from your chieftaincy matters - Ellembelle NDC

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Ellembelle Constituency in the Western Region has called on some aggrieved chiefs in the Ellembelle District to distance the Member of Parliament (MP), Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, from their chieftaincy matters.

Over the weekend, some aggrieved chiefs, led by the destooled Chief of Salman, Nana Kwamena Bentum, held a press conference in Takoradi to accuse the Ellembelle MP of masterminding his destoolment and that of some chiefs in the Ellembelle District.

But responding to the allegations at a press conference, the leadership of the Ellembelle NDC said MPs in Ghana do not install or destool chiefs.

Quoting the 1992 Constitution, the party said Article 277 defines a chief as a person who, hailing from the appropriate family and lineage, has been validly nominated, elected or selected and enstooled, enskinned or installed as a chief or queenmother in accordance with the relevant customary law and usage.

The party further cited Article 270(1) which states that "the institution of chieftaincy, together with its traditional councils as established by customary law and usage, is hereby guaranteed."

It also quoted Article 270(2), which states that "Parliament shall have no power to enact any law which confers on any person or authority the right to accord or withdraw recognition to or from a chief for any purpose whatsoever."

The NDC added that Article 270(3)(a) provides that the validity of the nomination, election, selection, installation or deposition of a person as a chief shall be determined in accordance with the appropriate customary law and usage, by a traditional council, a Regional House of Chiefs or a Chieftaincy Committee.

The party further referred to Section 57 of the Chieftaincy Act, 2008 (Act 759), which repeats the same definition of a chief, and Section 40 of the Act, which states that only persons entitled under customary law can bring destoolment proceedings against a chief.

The leadership of the party, therefore, argued that an MP has no role in the installation or destoolment of a chief.

It called on the aggrieved chiefs to stop tarnishing the image of their MP, and asked: "Is the MP a kingmaker or not?"

The party urged the chiefs to stop dragging the MP into chieftaincy disputes and rather use the appropriate traditional and legal channels, including the Traditional Council and the House of Chiefs, to resolve their grievances.