Chiefs settle more disputes than the lawcourts

The Paramount Chief of the New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre (Dr) Oti Boateng has observed that, traditional authorities settle more disputes in the communities than the orthodox courts and advised them to keep records on the number of the cases they settle to prove their case.

He said cases which the orthodox courts took years to settle because of adjournments and legal procedures, were settled by traditional authorities within a short time.

Daasebre Boateng was speaking at the end of year meeting of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs in Koforidua on Thursday.

He said it was time that the perception that it was chiefs who created chieftaincy disputes be dropped because the chieftaincy institution had contributed a lot towards the unity of the country.

Daasebre Boateng said there were more political disputes in the country than chieftaincy disputes, adding that, most of the chieftaincy disputes were created by people outside the chieftaincy institution.

He said it was time that all stakeholders come together to expose such people and be told that they could not become chiefs because of their money.

The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Afram-Asiedu appealed to the chiefs to bring to book some of their subjects who go out of their way to enstool pretenders to the stool who are otherwise not qualified.

He also urged the chiefs to hold in check some of their subjects who engaged in multiple sales of lands which had caused many purchasers of land, pain and agony.

Mr. Afram-Asiedu advised the chiefs to take a second look at some of the compensations demanded by landlords when their lands were acquired for developmental projects and to take into account the numerous benefits that their communities would derive from the project when demanding compensations.

Nana Ofosu Asante Kodan II, Acting President of Akyem Bosome Traditional Council called on the Eastern Regional Minister to advise the District Assemblies to pay the due royalties to traditional authorities located outside the district capitals.

He also urged the Minister to help in the provision of working equipment and vehicles to public institutions in the region whose work was related to the chieftaincy institution.

In a welcome address, the President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, Nene Narh Dawutey Ologo VI, advised politicians to avoid inflammatory language, insults and personal attacks during their campaigns towards the 2008 general elections so that the country would come out of the elections more united than ever before.

He called on all to strive to maintain Ghana as an oasis of peace in the turbulent and war torn West Africa sub-region and said the traditional rulers would not like to see Ghanaians as refugees in neighbouring countries which were already engulfed in conflicts.

“We must all join hands to ensure that peace and stability prevail in the country always,” he observed.

Nene Ologo appealed to the Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture to increase the allowances of chiefs to motivate them to perform their statutory duties more effectively.
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