The Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MCRA), has inaugurated four traditional councils in the Oti Region, to promote development and ensure smooth administration of the traditional areas.
The new traditional councils include Apesokubi Traditional Council in the Biakoye District, Akroso Traditional Council in the Krachi-East Municipality, Adele and Ntrobo traditional Councils all in the Nkwanta-South Municipality.
The Director of Research, Statistics Information and Management at the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mr Richard Fedieley, who performed the inaugural ceremony at separate functions, said gone were the days chiefs led their people in wars and extended territories.
Mr Fedieley observed that the roles played by chiefs in the past had changed, making chiefs to be at the forefront of accelerating development, and striving to eliminate poverty, diseases and the protection of the environment for the benefit of the present and future generations.
He called on chiefs to avail themselves for training for them to adapt to the current developmental challenges of chiefs as development agents, and understand the processes involved in resolving conflict through the judicial and other arbitration systems in their respective traditional areas.
Mr Fedieley stressed the need for chiefs to understand the processes involved in allocation of land, having in depth knowledge in land administration as per the Chieftaincy Act, ACT 759 and legislative instrument 798 which would enable the traditional councils to perform creditably.
The President of the Oti Regional House of Chiefs (ORHC) and the Krachiwura, Nana Mprah Besemuna III, underscored the importance of traditional councils in the development process of the various traditional areas, and urged paramount chiefs of the newly inaugurated traditional councils to demonstrate leadership in handling affairs of their areas.
Nana Mprah Besemuna said the inauguration of the councils imposed greater responsibilities on the paramount chiefs to promote peace and unity in their traditional areas for development.
The Paramount Chief of Ntrobo Traditional Area, Nana Tidibo Kowura Odamba II, appealed to the government to review the curfew at Nkwanta to promote economic activities that had eluded the people since the conflict started last year.
According to the chief, even though the case was before the law court he suggested that a committee should be put in place to work with the peace council to facilitate quick review of the curfew, and ensure free movement of goods and services in the area.
The Paramount Chief of Adele, Nana Asete Mensah said he and his elders were working hard to ensure that peace return to the area, thereby bringing a lasting solution to the conflict, which had deprived the people of the needed development.
FROM SAMUEL AGBEWODE, APESOKUBI