By: Jones Anlimah
The Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs has launched an ambitious project to inaugurate about 80 traditional councils in the Volta Region by the end of November this year.
This initiative comes as the region is recognized for having the largest number of paramount chiefs in the country, far exceeding any other region.
According to Mr. Harry Attipoe, the Volta Regional Registrar at the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, no other region in Ghana can claim even half the number of paramount chiefs as the Volta Region.
“There is no region in Ghana with even half the membership of the Volta Region’s paramount chiefs,” he remarked.
As part of this initiative, the ministry has already begun inaugurating new traditional councils in the region. “This week up to next week, we are inaugurating 14 traditional councils in addition to the current ones, ” Mr. Attipoe announced. This phase will be followed by the inauguration of an additional 30 councils in November.
Mr. Attipoe further explained that the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, headed by Mr. Stephen Asamoah Boateng, views this ongoing effort as a significant step toward formalizing and recognizing traditional authorities in the region.
“And so it is the desire of the ministry that from now up to the end of November, we should be able to inaugurate about 80 traditional councils in the Volta region,” he added.
The latest round of inaugurations saw 8 out of the planned 14 traditional councils officially being inaugurated last week, with the remaining 6 expected to be inaugurated this week.
This project underscores the important role that traditional governance plays in the social and cultural life of the region. It is expected to enhance the work of paramount chiefs in preserving customs, mediating disputes, and supporting developmental efforts in the Volta Region.
