Chieftaincy Minister Sets Records Straight

The Minister of Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs, Dr Henry Seidu Daannaa has debunked recent media reportage that suggests that an intervention made by the ministry in a chieftaincy dispute in the Akwamu Traditional Area lead to the gruesome murder of two African-Americans accused of illegally acting as chiefs.

The murder he said is a crime and must be condemned by all whiles the offenders are punished, it should not be compared to the sacred institution of chieftaincy.

Chieftaincy he said is honour and glory, murder he said is dishonesty.

‘’Let no one compare criminality with chieftaincy, criminality is a criminality and must be punished’’ the minister said.

Dr Daannaa explained that the ministry simply wrote to the National House of Chiefs to ascertain who the real gazetted chief for the disputed area was.

According to him, records from the National Register of Chiefs at the National House of Chiefs revealed that, there was no such gazzetted name as; Goloi Osakwe Akpan as chief neither is there Fihankra Traditional Council with a stool and a skin in Ghana.

He stated categorically that his ministry is not in support of any side in the Fihankra dispute.

Dr Daannaa stated that section 63 of the Chieftaincy Act, Act 759, 2008 clearly spelt out the criminal offences against the chieftaincy institution and warned people styling themselves as chiefs to desist from the act to avoid bringing the institution into disrepute.

He cautioned against the use of land acquisition in Ghana at a particular location as a premise of becoming a chief and warned especially foreigners living in Ghana to respect the laws of the land.

In a related development, Dr Seidu Daannaa urged factions in the Bolga chieftaincy dispute to use only legally approved systems to resolve their differences to ensure peace.

Ghana he said is far ahead in chieftaincy administration in the African sub-region and challenged all to help keep that honour.