The Coalition for Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), has urged traditional rulers to galvanise support with regards to the 2019 District Level Election to help elect people of substance in their respective jurisdictions.
“They should thus, as a matter of urgency, start putting measures in place in alliance with the Electoral Commission (EC), National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and civil society organisations (CSOs) to galvanise support for impending district level elections,” it stressed.
Albert Arhin, the National Coordinator of CODEO, observed that “traditional rulers play an important role in lives of their subjects” and appealed to traditional authorities in his presentation at a five-day workshop for traditional rulers at the Otumfuo Centre for Traditional Leadership (OCTL), University of Professional Studies (UPSA), in Accra.
It is the seventh to be organised by the centre on the theme: ‘Galvanising traditional leadership towards 2019 district level elections’ and attended by 70 paramount and divisional chiefs, queen mothers and staff of the regional and national houses of chiefs.
Mr Arhin noted that district assembly and unit committee elections had recorded very low turnout from 1994 to 2014 and it behooves on traditional authorities to galvanise for effective and efficient support and assistance with participation from their subjects in the forthcoming district level election.
“The originators of the district assembly concept have in mind the idea of growth and development at grassroots, using the bottom-up approach to develop concepts, since traditional authorities and rulers, live with their subjects they will understand them more and cooperate if they appeal to them to participate in election.
“Nananom, with all due respect, should take active part in mobilising support, assistance and participation in forthcoming election through durbars, seminars, symposia, fora and workshops to drum home district level election ultimately brings growth and development to people at grassroots,” Mr Arhin intimated.
Professor Abednego Amartey, the Vice Chancellor, UPSA, in a statement said as agents of change, growth and development,the role of traditional authorities in society was pivotal and important to acquire information and dissemination to the citizenry.
Dr Gerald Gyamfi, Director, Drolor Centre for Strategic Leadership, UPSA, indicated that traditional leadership provided an institutionalised training programme to enhance capacity to lead and manage resources effectively, efficiently and sustainably. –GNA
