CHIEFTAINCY PROBLEMS AND SECURITY (NOVEMBER 9, 2007)

THE Chief of Army Staff, Major-General Samuel Odotei, hit the nail right on the head when he observed that chieftaincy-related problems in the country were becoming a hindrance to the effective execution of the military’s peace and security agenda.
He noted that there was an upsurge in chieftaincy problems, which needed to be checked and halted immediately if the nation must move forward and no right-thinking member of society can deny these assertions.
The fact is that peace-keeping or the maintenance of law and order in crisis-stricken areas is not only a huge drain on the national economy but also a burden on our human and material resources and no one can take these things lightly. The Dagbon crisis — perhaps the worse in the nation’s history — comes in handy. Raging for a period of four years — March 27, 2002 to April 10, 2006 — it took a very heavy toll on the nation and the sincere prayer of every true Ghanaian is that no such calamity should befall us again.
But while still counting the cost of the Dagbon mayhem, the nation woke up last week to another chieftaincy crisis. This time it was in Anloga and was triggered by the search for a new Awoamefia for the Anlo Traditional Area. It left five people dead, including a policeman, and scores of others injured in the process.
The gloom, however, is not restricted to only Dagbon and Anlo. The nation’s capital itself has not been spared this agony. Indeed, it is not only the installation of the Ga Mantse, King Tackie Tawiah III, which is a subject of litigation but also all the coastal towns in the country — from Ga Mashie through Nungua to Tema — are all embroiled in serious chieftaincy problems.
It does not end there. The latest statistics clearly show that there are as many as 300 chieftaincy cases lined up before the various Houses of Chiefs and the situation is not too healthy for our nation. It is generally believed that the noble institution is reeling under the weight of interminable succession disputes because non-royals are using their wealth and connections to influence kingmakers to nominate them as chiefs. There are yet others who, though not royals, have appointed themselves kingmakers.
By trying to circumvent tradition and custom which have prescribed who has authority to nominate and install chiefs, as well as who qualifies to be a chief, a lot of tension has been created in some communities. As such, a precious heritage of the country appears to be threatened by the misuse of wealth and influence. A solution is yet to be found to this canker by the National House of Chiefs.
The numerous chieftaincy disputes have tarnished the image of the age-old chieftaincy institution and brought it into disrepute. Chiefs would, therefore, have to put their houses in order to be of lasting benefit to the national cause of a search for lasting democracy.
The role played by our chiefs in the agitation against colonial rule must not be lost on us. The Daily Graphic, therefore, hopes that the fearlessness of our forefathers, whose sweat and blood assured the survival of chieftancy, would inspire the present generation to preserve the institution. It is by so doing that our Chiefs could be a positive force in the struggle for the consolidation of democracy.