According to Togbui Sri, the move amounts to an attempt to usurp the authority of the Anlo Traditional Council.

In the suit, sighted by citifmonline.com, he claimed that the Chieftaincy Minister had written a letter to the Registrar of the Volta Region House of Chiefs announcing his decision to “inaugurate or establish Avenor and Aflao as traditional councils within the Anlo traditional area” after visiting the area.

According to the plaintiff, the Minister does not have the power to create any new traditional councils in the area, arguing that that mandate was vested in him as the Awoamefia of the area.

“Plaintiff avers that, only he as the Awoamefia of the Anlo state or traditional area has the authority by custom, statute and constitutional right to appoint or elevate the Avenor and Aflao divisions of the Anlo state or traditional area as traditional councils. That traditional councils are created by a chief who by custom are vested with such powers and not by constitutional or statutory executive action,” the suit said.

According to the suit, the Chieftaincy Minister intends to “inaugurate Avenor and Aflao divisions of the Anlo state or traditional area as traditional councils on December 14, 2017” without any notice to the Anlo Awoamefia or any acknowledgement of his mandate on the issue.

Togbui Sri is hence seeking an interim injunction on the creation and inauguration of the Traditional Councils until the final determination of the suit.

He also prayed the court to make a declaration that he “by virtue of his position as the Awoamefia of Anlo is the only authority who can create traditional councils in the Anlo traditional area.”

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By: Edwin Kwakofi & Michael Ogbodu/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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According to the Minister, upon resuming office, he inherited about 356 chieftaincy disputes across the country.

This, he said, is not only a threat to national security but an affront the growth of the nation.

[contextly_sidebar id=”6l3HknkmsWpDT1Qe93c304hkLpRkyxFR”]“I have been informed by the Minister for National Security that 50 percent of the problems that he has, have to do with chieftaincy disputes. So we too have resolved that this year, we would be able to solve 40 percent of the chieftaincy problems that are in the country.” 

Acknowledging the importance of the traditional authorities in the growth of the country’s democracy, the Minister said his outfit is taking actions to resolve the major disputes by equipping the judicial committees of the various houses of chiefs to adequately handle such cases and make necessary determinations and recommendations.

Speaking at a forum in Ho with Chiefs in the region to deliberate on the carving out of a new region from the Volta region, Kofi Dzamesi said his ministry is also committed to improving infrastructural amenities of the various houses of chiefs and empowering the chiefs to contribute meaningfully towards the development of the country.  

Allowance for chiefs, queens increases

He also announced a 100 percent increment of allowances of chiefs and Queens in the country.

“We have resolved that the GHc 500 which Paramount Chiefs receive as monthly allowance would now be increased to GHC1,000. And the GHC 350 received by the Queens would be increased to GHC800”

 The forum which was also attended by the Minister for Regional Reorganization, Hon Dan Botwe and his Deputy, the Presidents of the National House of Chiefs; Togbe Afede XIV, and the Volta Regional Minister Dr Archibald Letsa is part of the consultative processes targeted at engaging key stakeholders in the creation of the proposed “Volta North”.

The sector Minister Hon Dan Botwe believed government’s partnership with the German Governance Think Tank, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung in the creation of the new regions would bring governance closer to the doorsteps of the people to stimulate good governance and development.

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By: King Nobert Akpablie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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This follows a motion moved by Mr Kofi Dzamesi, Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs on the floor of Parliament for the house to approve an amount of GHC34,328,789 as budget allocation for the year 2017.

The Ministry of Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs was on January 2017 re-designated as the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs to enable it supervise the promotion of religious activities in the country, including the management of Christian, Islamic and other religious bodies.

Mr. Dzamesi, briefing Parliament on the ministry’s policies and programmes for 2017 announced that the ministry would sensitise chiefs on their roles in land acquisition and the importance of community land use plans.

He said the ministry would also focus on enhancing the capacity of Traditional Authorities in advocacy, peace building, and dispute resolution adding that advocacy programmes would be organised for the youth in selected traditional areas.

He said the ministry intends to educate the general public on the positive roles of the chieftaincy institution and to undertake monitoring visits to the House of Chiefs and Traditional Councils.

Mr. Dzamesi further stated that the ministry would ensure peace and stability in the traditional areas, organise a nationwide exercise to delineate and demarcate boundaries of paramountcies of the Houses of Chiefs.

He said the ministry would complete the codification of eleven lines of succession to Stool/Skins as well as categorisation of ten customary laws relating to land and family.

He also announced that the ministry would get eight hundred (800) chiefs into the National Register and settle sixty (60) judicial cases and resolve forty more through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

Mr Alex Kofi Agyekum, Member of Parliament (MP) for Mpohor in his contribution on the motion urged the house to approve budget estimates of GHC34,328,789 to the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs for the 2017 financial year.

He said the ministry had an important mandate and when carried out effectively would help decree the many chieftaincy conflicts as well as the rising spate of religious disputes in Ghana.

Mr Kobina Woyome, MP for South Tongu in his contribution stated that though the ministry’s budget for 2017 compared to 2016 had increased it still needed to prioritise its activities in order to have optimal utilisation of its allocated funds.

He said the increase in compensation allocation would enable the ministry recruit and replace staff as well as engage the services of lawyers to assist the judicial committee of the National House of Chiefs to expedite action on the numerous chieftaincy cases before them.

He called on the ministry to ensure effective collaboration between the chieftaincy institutions and the various district assemblies to ensure peace in the localities.

Mr Richard Quashigah, MP for Keta in his contribution stated that the re-aligned Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs was important because its activities would impact on the social nerve of the society.

He said though the GHC34,328,789 allocation for 2017 was higher than that of the 2016 it was not enough because the mandate and scope of the ministry had expanded.

He said the remit of the ministry was no longer within the domain of chieftaincy alone but superintended Christian, Islamic and other religious affairs.

Mr Klutse Avedzi, Deputy Minority Leader expressed concern that out of the GHC34,328,789 budget estimates for the ministry only GHC 2,000,000 was set aside for the running of the administration, which he stated was inadequate.
He therefore called for more allocation for the ministry during the mid-year review of the budget.

Sarah Adwoa Sarfo, Deputy Majority Leader in her contribution stated that the increase in compensation for the ministry was to enable them to recruit more lawyers to assist the judicial committee of the National House of Chiefs to discharge their mandate.

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Source: GNA

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