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Chiefs advised not to take the law
into their hands
Tamale, Oct. 28, Ghanadot/GNA - A Supervising High Court in
Tamale has urged chiefs not to take the law into their own
hands when dispensing justice at arbitrations, to ensure
peace and harmony in their communities.
Mr. Justice Lawrence Ladzagla Mensah, who made the call,
told chiefs to always take decisions “with the presence of
God in your minds, since you represent the voice of God in
your communities.”
He was addressing the inaugural meeting of the reconstituted
Northern Regional House of chiefs in Tamale on Tuesday.
The Judge said: “This region has great potential and if you
abide by the spirit of peace and tolerance, the region will
experience accelerated development within the next ten
years”.
The Yagbonwura, Bawa Abudu Doshie, Overlord of Gonjaland was
elected unopposed as the new President of the House with the
Nayiri, Na Bohagu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga, while the Overlord
of Mamprugu was elected as Vice-President of the House.
Wulugu Naba, Professor John Nabila, the Kpembewura Alhaji
Harunah Kibashibie, the Sunso-Naa Shani Hamidu II, Kumbun-Na
Yiri II, and Bamboi Kuoro, Nana Kwaku Dapaah II, were also
elected unopposed as representatives to the National House
of Chiefs.
Mr. Mensah appealed to the Yagbonwura to run an open door
administration and allow for free and effective
communication between him and the other members of the House
to promote peace and harmony.
Yagbonwura Doshie pledged to give the region the necessary
leadership to enable it to surmount the numerous challenges
it was facing.
He gave the assurance that no chief would shirk his
responsibility in ensuring peace in the region.
Yagbonwura Doshie commended government for the establishment
of the Northern Development Fund.
He urged all well-meaning citizens and the country’s
development partners to contribute to the fund for
accelerated development of the North.
Yagbonwura Doshie expressed worry about the manner in which
some political party leaders were carrying out their
campaigns, saying it was creating tension.
He urged political leaders to be moderate in their
activities since elections “is not a matter of life and
death”.
Yagbonwura Doshie appealed to the Electoral Commission to
ensure free, fair, transparent elections.
Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, Northern Regional Minister,
entreated chiefs in the region to resolve all disputes in
the region and to seek technical advice during arbitration.
He, however, reminded chiefs that they could not arbitrate
on criminal cases and appealed to them to study the
Chieftaincy Act 2008 in order not to fall foul of its
provisions.
Alhaji Idris told the chiefs that the development gap
between the North and the South could never be closed if
they did not ensure development to complement government’s
development programmes.
“In your unique positions as custodians of the land, the
district assemblies, for instance, could rely on your good
counsel and willingness to release land for infrastructure
development in your traditional areas,” he said.
Mr. Sylvester Kanyi, Northern Regional Director of the
Electoral Commission, supervised the elections while, the
Supervising High Court Judge administered the oath of office
to the chiefs.
GNA
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