Tongu queens reject second fiddle role

Queens in the Tongu Traditional Area are asking the Government to give them equal recognition as chiefs.

They said they found it unacceptable that they were not represented at the National House of Chiefs and were not being given allowances as being done for chiefs.

Mama Adokuwa Asigble IV, Paramount Queen of the Tefle Traditional Area and member of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), made the request at a durbar of queens and chiefs organised at the South Tongu District Assembly during a working visit by the Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, Mr S.K. Boafo.

The NCCE took advantage of the forum to distribute education materials on the re-denomination exercise to the chiefs and queens.

They had earlier distributed some of the materials at the Dabala market.

Mama Asigble called for equal treatment, saying that chiefs were as important as queens.

Mr Boafo said even though the chieftaincy institution was a noble one which should be respected, disputes among chiefs and queens were giving a bad image to the institution.

He said for example that there were three chiefs claiming title to the Mafi chieftaincy seat and that situation did not bring about respect.

The minister appealed to the queens to tackle the issue of immoral dressing, saying that "as the custodians of our culture you need to ensure that we do not lose it to foreign culture."

He also asked them not to allow strangers to occupy their chieftaincy seats out of sheer anger.

Togbe Azaxie Degenu III called on the government to allocate to chiefs some funds as enjoyed by Members of Parliament in order that they could undertake some development projects for their communities.

To this request, the minister responded that he would not advise chiefs to go near such funds, since it was dangerous, saying that they would have auditors chasing them all the time.

He, however, asked them to pursue the matter with him.

Credit: Daily Graphic