By Jones Anlimah
The Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs has elevated a total of six traditional areas in the Volta and Oti regions to Council status.
The Council status has legislative backing which also confers Presidency on the Paramount Chiefs of the various Traditional Councils. This also grants permits for the establishment of Traditional Committees in the pursuit of effective administration.
At various ceremonies to inaugurate the Councils, the Acting Chief Director at the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mrs. Lilly Fati Soale, urged the chiefs to be abreast of the Chieftaincy Act and other chieftaincy legislation and conflict resolution tools and adopt the best and alternative methods of conflict resolution in their traditional areas.
The inauguration of the six traditional councils in the Volta and Oti regions was in fulfilment of Section 12(1) of the Chieftaincy Act of 2008, ACT 759, which calls for the institution of traditional councils within each traditional area.
The newly inaugurated Councils are Penyi in the Ketu North, Klikor and Somey both in the Ketu South, Fievie and Adidome both in the Central Tongu and Nkonya Wurampong Tradition Council in the Biakoye District of the Oti region.
Some of the areas were saddled with chieftaincy disputes and so had no gazetted paramount chief to head the council as president, and therefore the members were urged to unite and select one among themselves to act in the interim.
The inauguration of the various councils was also accompanied by the inauguration of offices for the councils to operate from.
Inaugurating the various traditional councils, the Acting Chief Director at the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mrs. Lilly Fati Soale, said government recognises the role of traditional leadership in national development and will continue to hold the institution in prominence.
“There is a need for the modern chief to understand the processes and procedures involved in allocating land, granting leases, and land administration in general. It behoves on you as chiefs to be abreast of conflict resolution tools and be able to employ alternative methods in resolving conflict that may arise within your traditional areas or localities. This inauguration should be seen to integrate the people in the traditional area, especially our revered chiefs, to work hand in hand for development and not to disintegrate you,” she noted.
