Mr Prince Bagnaba Mba, President of Forum for Equity, a human rights organization has called on Kingmakers to exhibit a high level of transparency and sincerity in their traditional adjudications to avoid chieftaincy disputes. That, he added demanded integrity and strong-heartedness to decipher the truth from deceit to create a conducive atmosphere for peaceful co-existence. 'Chieftaincy disputes are not easily resolved because of lack of transparency and sincerity of elders in the royal court who act as advisors and Kingmakers. 'Contestants to any stool or skin should also be subjected to DNA test to ascertain true blue blood or royalty'. Mr Mba who was speaking to the Ghana News Agency on chieftaincy issues in Ghana has attributed political interference and corruption as the root causes of conflict, which enabled non-royals with political influence to 'hijack the age-long traditional system of government'. He said such conflicts created unnecessary and avoidable crises leading to the loss of lives and property and halted and grounded economic activities. 'It is only true sons and daughters who are entitled to inheritance, but the present manipulative approach casts doubts about eligibility. It's really unwelcoming to have two or more chiefs contesting for authentication'. He said monies spent on chieftaincy trouble spots could easily be used for industrialization to create jobs and stabilize the economy. Political elites, youth groups, and local politicians in Ghana have all used chieftaincy conflicts to further their political and economic goals with reasonable levels of success. Political actors recognise that chiefs are crucial allies in winning elections. And it goes both ways. Candidates for chieftaincy positions rely on the backing of local and national leaders to help them achieve control over a traditional area. Therefore reverence for chieftaincy comes under threat in so far as subjects consider chiefs as political tools. The ultimate danger is the weakening of state institutions and the con tinuation of violence which invariably affects development and democracy. In resolving chieftaincy conflicts and stopping their politicisation, the various houses of chiefs should be empowered and be the only institutions for handling chieftaincy issues. Secondly, there is a need to codify the lines of succession in Ghana. Source: Ghana News Agency
Related Posts
Avoid tight braids for infants – Paediatrician warns
Dr Amma Benin, a Paediatrician at the International Maritime Hospital (IMaH) Tema, has discouraged mothers from braiding their babies’ hair tightly at the early ages of growth.She explained that it did not only cause tension on the scalp, but damaged …
Chieftaincy Ministry, stakeholders round off discussions on religion policy
The Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MCRA) today rounded off stakeholder consultations on the proposed National Policy on Religion.
The engagements, which span two weeks, were done in all 16 regions with the last one happening concurre…
First edition of the International Exhibition of Companies of the Diaspora takes place from April 22 to 23 in Paris
The first edition of the International Exhibition of Companies of the Diaspora takes place from April 23 to 24 in Paris, France, under the motto “Ka nu skeci nós origem” and aims to promote Cape Verdean companies in the diaspora.The announcement was ma…