Chiefs schooled on new Chieftaincy Act

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesaday July 6, 2010
A workshop to sensitize traditional rulers on the Chieftaincy Act 2008, Act 759 has ended at Dodowa with a call on chiefs to work to bring sanity into the chieftaincy institution.

It was organized by the National House of Chiefs for chiefs and queen mothers in the Greater Accra Region and sponsored by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) under the theme “The tenets of the Chieftaincy Act 2008: What a traditional leader must know”.

Opening the workshop, Pugansoa Naa Professor John S. Nabila, Wulugu Naba and President of the National House of Chiefs said “it is incumbent on all chiefs in the country to be very knowledgeable about the various tenets of the Chieftaincy Act and above all, the 1992 Constitution.”

He said “indirectly we should not forget that the house has set up a committee headed by Nana Dr. Susubribi Krobea Asante, Asokorehene, to put together contributions from all the regional houses for discussion for subsequent submission to the Constitutional Review Commission.”

He said the contributions of the traditional leaders in the constitutional review exercise will be helpful and urged all members to participate to make the exercise successful.

Prof. Nabila said “it is paramount that we the chiefs and our staff know the tenets of the Act which is the basic law on chieftaincy and, above all the tool we shall use in adjudicating and mediation of chieftaincy matters brought before the various traditional houses of chiefs.”

Mr. P.K.O Mensah counsel for the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs who was a resource person said the new Chieftaincy Act “has removed all traces of governmental influences or at least interference.”

“There is nowhere in the Act that gives the President of Ghana or his Ministers power to regulate any aspect of chieftaincy. It is now up to Nananom to stand firm against any direct or indirect interference so that the institution will actively help the development of the nation.”

Isaac Owusu-Mensah, Senior Programmes Manager of KAS urged chiefs not to indulge in partisan politics and continue to strive to get the best for their people.