WORKSHOP ON CHIEFTAINCY ACT ENDS (PAGE 34)

A three-day workshop on the Chieftaincy Act, 2008, Act 759 and Code of Ethics for Nananom the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs has been held in Sunyani.
The meeting, which is the first in a series for members of Regional Houses of Chiefs in the country, is being supported by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS).
The Chieftaincy Act 759 of 2008, which amended the previous Act of 1971, Act 370, came into effect in June last year and provides for the administration of the chieftaincy institution, starting from the National and the Regional Houses of Chiefs to the various Traditional Councils.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, Mr Alex Asum-Ahensan, expressed regret that the document which was expected to guide Nananom in the execution of their functions in the areas of their installation, proceedings during adjudication of land and family issues, custody of stool properties and administration of finances, among other matters, had not been disseminated adequately to the traditional authorities.
He urged Nananom to formulate regulations as required in Section 71 of the Act to give full effect in the administration of the document, since such regulations made it expedient for the Act to be administered effectively.
Mr Asum-Ahensan, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Jaman North Constituency, noted that the regulations would help Nananom to formulate their Standing Orders, prescribe fees, fines and other issues pertaining to the administration of the institution of chieftaincy.
He pointed out that some chieftaincy conflicts had dragged on for a long time owing to the fact that some of the parties to those conflicts were unable to pay the fees which were sometimes determined arbitrarily by members of the constituted judicial panels.
“Such challenges will be addressed if adequate regulations are made for transparency in our chieftaincy judicial process. I will, therefore, be anxiously looking forward to proposals to be submitted to my ministry in this respect in due course,” the minister said.
He expressed the hope that at the end of the meeting Nananom would appreciate the immense benefits to be derived from the Act and feel very confident to use it as a reference material in all chieftaincy issues.
Naba Pugansoa, Naa (Prof.)John S. Nabila, the President of the National House of Chiefs, explained that before the passage of the new chieftaincy Act 2008, the repealed Act of 1971 was not in conformity with the 1992 Constitution.
For instance, he noted that, Article 89 (2) (b) provides that the President of the National House of Chiefs shall be a member of the Council of State and while the tenure of office of Members of the Council of State is four years, the tenure of office of the President of the House under the now repealed act, was three years, saying that there were several of such inconsistencies.
He said the National House of Chiefs therefore initiated processes towards the revision of Act 370 which finally led to the passage of the new Act 759.
The president expressed his heartfelt gratitude to KAS which he said had been supporting the chieftaincy institution generally and in particular the National House of Chiefs to organise the series of workshops.
In his welcoming address, Osahene Kwaku Aterkyi II, the President of the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, observed with satisfaction that all governments of the country had recognised the existence of the chieftaincy institution and provided the necessary support to Nananom.
Mr Klaus D. Loetzer, the Resident Representative of KAS, pointed out that as a foundation that had worked in the country for 43 years, helping to promote socio-economic development, “We recognise the role of our indigenous institutions and bodies in the socio-economic growth of the country”.
He noted that the requisite legal framework to regulate the manner and conduct of Nananom in modern times reflected the dynamic nature of the chieftaincy institution, adding that through the efforts of the various stakeholders, the new chieftaincy Act had now been passed.