Allow chiefs to take part in politics-Lecturer

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05-08-08

A Lecturer at the University of Cape Coast, Mr Kingsley Adjei, has called for an amendment to the Constitution to enable chiefs to take part in active politics.
Alternatively, he said, the Constitution should be amended for the creation of a second Chamber of Parliament for chiefs and other well-meaning Ghanaians.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Mr Adjei suggested that the admission of chiefs to the second chamber should be on a rotational basis.
The second chamber, he said, should deal with customary cases, among other things, adding that the British still cherished the traditional role in governance through the Queen.
“Unfortunately, we have accepted Western culture hook, line and sinker, relegating our tradition to the background,” he said.
Mr Adjei said it was hypocritical to bar chiefs from engaging in active politics, although they were allowed to vote during elections.
He said preventing some people, especially chiefs, from participating in governance was against their human rights.
The issue of the subjugation of chiefs, he said, started with the colonialists who set up structures that deprived chiefs of most of their functions, adding that “this continued after independence”.
According to him, none of the provisions in the Constitution sought to lift the image of the chief to his former glory, in spite of the vital role chiefs could play.
Mr Adjei said there were certain structures such as the district assemblies and the MPs Common Fund which tended to relegate chiefs to the background and said as long as people saw district chief executives (DCEs) and MPs as administrators and providers of social amenities, the people would side step chiefs and give respect to those personalities.
He called for the establishment of a common fund for chiefs to use for the development of their traditional areas, saying that would make them more functional. He also stressed the need for the establishment of a royal college where chiefs could go and undertake refresher courses in governance to equip them adequately.
He said there should be an annual awards for chiefs who had contributed immensely to the socio-economic development of their communities, adding that the chieftaincy institution should be reformed to be more viable.