Mr Harry Attipoe, the Registrar of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, has called on the citizenry to support the establishment of traditional councils.
He said the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs had been mandated by the Constitution to streamline traditional leadership and administration in the various traditional areas, through the establishment of traditional councils.
The Registrar made the call at the inauguration of Councils in several traditional areas in the Volta Region.
Mr Attipoe was responding to some opposition to the establishment of the Councils, especially in areas with chieftaincy disputes.
Factions in some traditional areas had earlier tried to secure injunctions, expressing public opposition to the establishment of the new councils, which attracted police and other security intervention, to help keep watch over the inauguration ceremonies for their success.
The Registrar said the administrative and judicial functions of the traditional council remained under the auspices of the Ministry and the House of Chiefs, to ensure the growth and development of the various areas, and opposing its realisation affected societal progress.
“Traditional Councils are for the development of the traditional areas and would exist forever. A traditional council is not the property of any chief nor royal house. It is the Constitutional duty of the Ministry to establish traditional councils in every traditional area, so those standing against the formation of the council do not seek the progress of the community,” he said.
Mr Attipoe said the councils would help anchor unity and collaboration for peace and development, ensuring that local arbitration of chieftaincy cases made justice more effective and affordable.
Executives from the Ministry led by Mr Evans Habada, the Head of Human Resource at the Ministry, attended the inaugurations, while gazetted rulers in the traditional areas were sworn in by court judges and magistrates.
Administrative offices for each council were commissioned after the inaugurations, with the Ministry promising to provide the needed staff and resources for their operations.
Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, the Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, called for unity among chiefs and the people to ensure that the essence of establishing the traditional councils was achieved.
