President John Dramani Mahama has urged the chieftaincy institution to take the lead in resolving the growing number of chieftaincy disputes across the country, insisting that government is constitutionally barred from determining succession matters.
According to the President, while government can intervene to maintain law and order when disputes become violent, the responsibility for adjudicating chieftaincy cases rests solely with the traditional authorities through their judicial committees.
President Mahama made the remarks when the Bono Regional House of Chiefs, led by its President, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II, paid a courtesy call on him at the Jubilee House in Accra.
Addressing the chiefs, the President described the chieftaincy institution as a vital pillar of Ghana’s governance system, noting that chiefs have historically served as custodians of land and partners in local administration.
He, however, expressed concern about the increasing number of chieftaincy disputes, which he said are undermining peace and slowing development in several traditional areas.
“Government is committed to developing every part of this country, but you cannot carry out that development in an atmosphere of insecurity,” he stated.
President Mahama observed that unlike in the past when kingmakers struggled to find suitable candidates to occupy stools, succession contests have become increasingly competitive, resulting in numerous disputes.
He explained that the framers of the 1992 Constitution deliberately insulated chieftaincy matters from political interference by restricting government’s role in such disputes.
“The Constitution said government should hands off chieftaincy matters. So it means that government cannot interfere in any matter of chieftaincy unless it is a threat to law and order,” he said.
According to him, government only steps in through the security agencies when violence erupts and public order is threatened.
“After we have done that, it is the institution of chieftaincy itself, the judicial committee that must go into the matter and investigate and come up with the recommendation as to who the proper occupant of a stool is,” he stressed.
The President, therefore, appealed to the Bono Regional House of Chiefs and other regional houses of chiefs to expedite the adjudication of pending cases.
He assured them of government’s continued support and resources to help resolve disputes quickly and restore peace to affected traditional areas.
“We will continue to support you and give you the resources so that we can speed up the adjudication of some of these chieftaincy matters and be able to resolve them so that we can concentrate on development,” he said.
Touching on development projects, President Mahama announced that work on the proposed Accra-Kumasi Expressway has commenced, with the 48 Engineers Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces already clearing the right of way.
He disclosed that more than 70 kilometres of the corridor have so far been cleared, while compensation payments have begun for property owners and farmers whose lands will be affected by the project.
The President said the procurement process for the main construction works is ongoing and expressed confidence that the expressway, when completed, would significantly reduce travel time between Accra and Kumasi.
He added that the Bono Region remains a major beneficiary of government’s Big Push infrastructure programme, which includes investments in roads, healthcare, education, agriculture, markets and the proposed regional airport.
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