The Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Stephen Asamoah Boateng, has revealed ongoing efforts within his ministry to amend the Chieftaincy Act, granting traditional leaders authority to adjudicate minor disputes within their jurisdictions.
A contentious issue highlighted by the Minister involves Section 63(D) of the Act, currently under dispute at the Supreme Court, which restricts traditional authorities from adjudicating local matters and limits their operational scope.
Speaking at the sidelines of a royal conference organized by the Church of Pentecost in Gomoa Fetteh, Central Region, Stephen Asamoah Boateng emphasized the importance of supporting and strengthening the institution of chieftaincy.
“The government appreciates your impact on the sound character formation of several thousands of generations of men and women in our country.
“Nananom, you administer a lot of work for the government, and in my interaction, we are amending the Chieftecy Law. In its place, we want to include some very clear authority to be given to the Nananom to be able to resolve petty disputes in your communities.
“This already exists in Act Section 62(D), but you and I know that it has been disputed in the Supreme Court, but we need to make some amendments. They will appreciate that we need to give Nananom back the authority, but it should be slightly amended, which I am working on very closely,” he stated.
Additionally, the Minister outlined plans to establish a Chieftaincy Development Fund, similar to the National District Assembly Common Fund, aimed at providing financial support to traditional authorities.
This fund would include living allowances, adjusted periodically to accommodate changes in living conditions and exchange rates.
“Beyond that, we need to also look at resourcing Nananom. The central government takes resources, and some must go back if we are given responsibilities to administer on our behalf and on behalf of the people.
“So, we are proposing a Chieftaincy Development Fund, similar to the National District Assembly Common Fund, and we are also looking at giving a living allowance, not the legal money that you come for sitting. These are living allowances, which means they will be adjusted when the exchange rate or the living condition changes, so Nananom can be comfortable when they are administering the country for all of us, he added.