Redefine role of chiefs on governance

S.K Boafo, Ghana's Minister of Chietaincy and Culture

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday August 2, 2007
A workshop to evaluate the contributions of traditional authorities and leaders in governance and socio-economic development of the country ended in Kumasi with a call on all stakeholders to collaborate to make the chieftaincy institution a major stakeholder in local governance.

The there-day event which was under the theme “resolving the duality of governance in Ghana”, was organized for about 50 traditional authorities by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in collaboration with Nana Kobina Nketsia IV Trust and the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge Organization Development (CIKOD).

At the end of the workshop, participants resolved to support every effort to reposition the chieftaincy institution to enable it to perform its roles and duties for the benefit of the people and called for formal arrangements to be made for the institute ion to be well recognized and involved in the governance of the country.

In their communiqué, the chiefs admitted that the future of the chieftaincy institution is dependent on the extent of its responsiveness to existing societal demands and the ability of the chiefs to exhibit good moral courage and standards such as accountability and transparency which are determinants of good governance.

“The greatest problem confronting the chieftaincy institution is funding. This has virtually made the workings of the
institutions (National and Regional Houses) as represented by the various committees reflective and inefficient,” the said.

They said the time has come for them to advocate strongly for the review of existing legislative frameworks and other legal provisions for the establishment, function and performance of the institution.

Earlier, Mr S.K. Boafo, Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture in a speech read on his behalf said the institution needed to be facilitated and strengthened to be able to effectively partner government in the development of the nation.

“There is the need to adopt strategies to address the future of the chieftaincy institutions in the context of their role in governance,” he added.

Professor George Panyin Hagan, Chairman of the National Commission on Culture said the 1992 Constitution gives autonomy to the chieftaincy-based system and the institute ion will continue to have a persuasive influence in the country.

Isaac Owusu-Mensah, a Senior Programmes Manager who stood in for Mr Kalus Loetzer, country representative of KAF said they are making efforts to empower the institution to enable it play an effective role for as governance is concerned.

“It is my hope that in few years when Ghana celebrates 75 years the issue confronting chieftaincy today such as legitimate succession, lack of resources and involvement in the decentralized agencies would be counted as success stories of the institute ion since it will have found its way to be relevant to the society das a whole.”