News

Resolve all chieftaincy disputes …Minister to UWR House of Chiefs

The Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mr Ebenezer Kojo Kum, has called on the Upper West Regional (UWR) House of Chiefs to resolve all pending chieftaincy issues in the region to allow for peaceful coexistence.

He indicated that chieftaincy-related conflicts had the tendency of impacting negatively on the development of an area and stated that as partners in development, it was incumbent on the house to ensure that all disputes were resolved in order to propel the growth of the region.

The Minister stated this when he addressed a general meeting of the House at Wa on Tuesday as part of a two-day working visit to the region.

“I am aware of the enormous effort the house has made in resolving many of the chieftaincy issues but I will implore you to adopt alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to address protracted conflicts which, I believe, will yield the needed outcome,” he said.

Mr. Kum expressed regret that the lack of understanding of certain traditions, customs and norms was one of the reasons giving rise to chieftaincy conflicts in the country and that it was the duty of chiefs to clarify such traditions as much as possible to avoid clashes.

He encouraged the chiefs to use their power to cause change through education and eradication of traditions and rites that were inimical to human rights and development.

For his part, the President of the Regional House of Chiefs, Naa Dikomwine Domalae, expressed appreciation to the Minister for his visit to the region and pledged to work collaboratively with the ministry to resolve issues related to chieftaincy in the region.

He said traditional authorities were ambassadors of peace, progress and development in the country and assured the Minister that the relevance and resilience of the chieftaincy institutions would diligently be protected by the chiefs, who are primary stakeholders of the institution.

“We note your ardent determination toassist Houses of Chiefs to reduce chieftaincy disputes in the country and we the chiefs in the region assure you of our full support. We are with you and will always work hard to resolve matters related to chieftaincy, “he said.

He stated that tradition was a symbol of peace and unity and the region could only succeed when the chiefs stood together to build a stronger fellowship of national pride, responsible citizenship and genuine accountable spirit.

As part of his visit to the region, the minister inaugurated the Sankana and Takpo Traditional Councils in the Nadowli-Kaleo District as well as the Manwe Traditional Council in the Wa East District.

FROM RAFIA ABDUL RAZAK, WA

Show More
Back to top button