WR Chiefs Want To Make Input In Bill

A member of the Western Regional House of Chiefs, Awulae Agyefi Kwame II, says members of the house should be given the opportunity to make inputs into the Chieftaincy Act 370(1971), Amendment Bill.
He said although he was one of the advocates for the review of the existing Chieftaincy Act, the views of chiefs have to date, not been sought.
Awulae Kwame, who is the Omanhene of Nsein traditional area, made the call on Tuesday at the end-of-year general meeting of the house at Takoradi.
'We have requested that the matter be brought to the house so that Nananom can make some inputs into the amendment bill. But we have still not heard anything,' he said.
Awulae Kwame, said although the Minister of Chieftaincy Affairs had indicated that the amendment bill had been presented to Parliament, 'some of us do not know the details of the new laws governing Nananom'.
He recalled that before the old act was passed by Parliament, it went through the Regional House of Chiefs after which a sub-committee of two representatives from each house was formed to discuss it before it became law.
'This time, it is only the five members of the house who are also members of the National House of Chiefs who knew of it. The rest of us do not have any details,' he lamented.
He appealed to the Regional Minister to prevail upon the Chieftaincy Ministry to ensure that Nananom were given the opportunity to express their views on the new act.
He touched on other national issues and said the unit committee concept, was a good idea but suggested that the government should find ways of consolidating them.
'It is the expectation of people that they will be paid; but they have realised that, that is not the case and so they are disappointed', he said.
For his part, the Omanhene of Sefwi Asawinso, Odeneho Ogyeahohwo Yaw Gyebi II, regretted that the local administration had been politicised and asked the government to take steps to stop.
When asked to comment on Awulae Kwame’s concern, Mr S. K. Boafo, Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, when contacted said the proposal for the new act came from the National House of Chiefs for government to study after which it was returned to the House to enable it to consider the government’s inputs.
He was therefore surprised at the chief’s concern saying that once the proposal came from the National House of Chiefs, it was believed that all the necessary processes had been followed.