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SURVIVAL OF THE CHIEFTAINCY
INSTITUTION MUST BE A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY
A GNA feature by A. A. Adom
Accra, Jan. 10, Ghanadot/GNA – It is an undeniable fact that the
chieftaincy institution has been subjected in severe strain
in recent times. This hitherto most revered institution has
now come under attack, notwithstanding the fact that the
1992 Fourth Republican Constitution has given it a pride of
place.
There have been recent reports of the gunning down of chiefs
in connection with land and chieftaincy disputes.
The Constitution defines a chief as “a person, who hailing
from the appropriate family and lineage, has been validly
nominated; elected or selected and enstooled, enskinned or
installed as a Chief or Queenmother in accordance with the
relevant customary law and usage".
However, these have not been complied with in most cases due
to interference. Lack of oral traditions/documents on the
rightful successors and the unavailability of registers of
all eligible candidates had enabled usurpers to become
chiefs.
In some instances stools and skins have been offered to the
highest bidders rather than to royalty and most of the
chieftaincy disputes could be traced to the infraction of
laid down customary procedures. These have been some of the
reasons why the institution is losing focus and, therefore,
there is the need to revive it to ensure its sustainability.
Whilst it cannot be disputed that some chiefs are performing
creditably in the area of socio-economic and cultural
development of their districts, some too are not performing
so well.
Chiefs wielded enormous authority and respect in the past.
Chiefs were widely acclaimed and well respected due to the
pivotal roles they played in the socio-political
administration of the towns, communities and villages over
which they had jurisdiction.
The fact of the matter is that the benefits and the
functions of the chieftaincy institution cannot be limited
to only traditional norms and values.
It has been suggested that the Chieftaincy institution
should adopt Information Communication Technology (ICT) to
facilitate the conservation and promotion of cultural
artefacts to enhance its market standing on the
international market. This, it is envisaged, would ensure
free flow of information for mutual benefit.
The role of ICT is, therefore, indispensable in a modern
chieftaincy institution. As a matter of fact, many are those
whose lives could have been saved if fast communication
systems, combined with well-equipped security personnel had
been annexed to this institution. Chiefs must have
bodyguards to protect lives and property in an emergency
situation.
Chiefs in general in a typical Ghanaian domain constitute a
symbol of authority, a representative of the people and a
conduit for peace and harmony among their subjects. Not to
mention its tourist attraction, economic potentials
including the role they play in the protection of natural
resources such as land, rivers, lakes, streams, forest belts
as well as seeking the welfare of their subjects by ensuring
equitable allocation of resources such as land for
employment generation and a source of income for the youth.
Given the necessary push, the chieftaincy institution could
be a major economic driver through cultural festivals; the
regalia and even the beautiful architectural designs in the
various palaces, some of which are now in a state of
disrepair. These beautiful monuments deserve a facelift
where tourist could visit and pay a token.
One could not discuss these issues without citing the role
of the Chief vis-à-vis the District Chief Executive (DCEs)
and the Assembly members.
Oftentimes there have been instances of lack of co-operation
among either the chiefs and the DCEs or the chiefs and the
Assembly members resulting from conflict of interest in the
discharge of their duties. This lack of mutual cooperation;
discrimination; inadequate resources and responsibility
shirking have been major setbacks for the chieftaincy
institution to thrive.
Truly, the vast differences between the chiefs and their
subjects in terms of resource allocation coming from the
national level, through the regional to the districts and to
the communities before it finally gets to the villages has
indeed culminated in the socio-economic conditions of their
subjects.
The chieftaincy institution must be devoid of
discrimination, especially in the allocation of resources
such as land as well as water resources to create jobs for
the youth and to ensure the fulfilment of the National Youth
Employment Programme (NYEP). There must be appropriate laws
for the chieftaincy institution and those laws, which do not
help the institution to grow, must be amended so as to
enable the chiefs to fulfil their socio-economic roles in
society.
Chiefs must live in modesty and avoid corrupt lifestyles.
God has blessed this country with rivers, streams, land,
manpower resources and ingenuity to make these resources
productive.
There must be closer collaboration between the chiefs and
civil society organizations; the law courts as well as the
security agencies should tackle the large number of
litigations pending for trial, some of which are long
overdue.
So great could have been the role of chiefs in the mediation
process if some chiefs had been exposed to modern principles
of management and administration as well as various modes of
conflict resolution mechanisms so as to decongest the law
courts.
Royalties which are the main sources of revenue for the
institution must be paid on time to sustain it; for a nation
without a culture is no nation. The indispensability of the
chieftaincy institution is should be obvious even to
sceptics. It has been propounded in certain quarters that
the
peace Ghana is enjoying is derived from the fact that
traditional institutions are effective and restrain
extremism that characterised happenings in some countries in
the West African sub-Region.
GNA
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