Chieftaincy Minister urges chiefs to consider establishment of traditional councils as opportunity to unite

The Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Dr. Stephen Asamoah Boateng has noted that the inauguration of various traditional councils in the Volta Region is to integrate, foster peace, unity and good relationships.

He said it is also to offer chiefs and queens a level playing field for them to advocate for accelerated development of their traditional areas.

According to him, traditional leaders are the engine of growth for various traditional areas that development revolves. He therefore urged them to resist all manner of attempts by not only politicians but some people he described as chieftaincy and land litigation contractors to disintegrate them.

Dr. Asamoah Boateng whose speech was read for him by the Snr. Registrar at the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Berfi Nsiah at the inauguration of Sokpoe Traditional Council and Swearing in of Torgbui Kadzi Zigah as the President of the Traditional Council, said peace and unity are prerequisite for the growth of every traditional area which they the chiefs and queens would jealously guard for their own interest.

The Chieftaincy Sector Minister said despite several attempts and struggles by the people of Sokpoe for the past 68 years to have a traditional council, that did not come to fruition but finally the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs has successfully inaugurated the traditional Council to pave way for development.

Dr. Asamoah Boateng urged the chiefs to take advantage of their membership of the council to influence development for their various traditional areas and eschew conflicts to benefit from various capacity building programs which aims at promoting activities of the councils.

He also assured the Chiefs of making available administrative staff to smoothly run affairs of the traditional councils for effective and efficient management of affairs.

The Registrar of Volta Regional House of Chiefs, Harry Attipoe said the establishment of various traditional councils is a constitutional right, Sector 12 (1) of the chieftaincy Act of 2008, Act 759 calls for the institution of a traditional council within each traditional area, which spells out that in every Paramountcy “There shall be a traditional Council” and not by might of any chief or queen.”

Mr. Attipoe noted that the inauguration of the various traditional councils is not for any particular Paramount Chief to own, but for the entire traditional area and that “Chiefs come and go but the council would be there till thy kingdom come”, he stressed.

The newly sworn-in President of the Sokpoe Traditional Council, Torgbui Kadzi Sogah used the opportunity to charge indigenes of the area to channel their energies into supporting the Chiefs to ensure that they get the needed development.

The Ministry also inaugurated five other councils in the Volta Region, they include Agotime, Ave-Dakpa, Agave, Anfoeta and Klefe traditional councils.

At Ave- Dakpa Torgbui Nyamekor Gkakpe is the newly sworn-in President of the Ave-Dakpa Traditional Council in the Akatsi North District. He called for unity among all members of the council to attract development that they are yearning for.

At the inauguration of Agotime Traditional Council, the newly sworn -in President of the Council, Nene Nuer Keteku urged fellow chiefs to bury whatever differences existed among them and forge ahead in unity for the accelerated growth of their various traditional areas, saying the inauguration of the council marks the beginning and end of all conflicts in the traditional area.

He pledged to adopt an open-door policy as the leader of the Council and that no single member of the Council would be relegated to the background in terms of decision-making.

At Anfoeta, Togbega Kwasi Drah is the newly sworn-in President of the Anfoeta Traditional Council, he appealed to the Ministry of chieftaincy and Religious Affairs to quicken up in the provision of the logistics and other equipment to enable them to hit the ground running.

According to him, they are in peace with one another and don’t experience any dispute and would jealously protect the Council for them to realize the full benefits.

The Member of Parliament for Ho West, Emmanuel Bedzra pledged his preparedness to support the chiefs to realize their dreams of using the Council to attract investors for the growth of Anfoeta and its satellite communities

Story by Robert Abilba

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