Editorial: President Mahama Has Hit The Nail Right On The Head

President John Mahama, according to myjoyonline.com report, has announced plans by the government to codify chieftaincy succession processes in the Upper West Region, as part of efforts to reduce disputes and strengthen peace within traditional areas.

According to the President, clearly documenting royal families, succession gates and rotational arrangements will help remove uncertainties surrounding the selection of chiefs and prevent conflicts triggered by disagreements over rightful successors.

“But like the President of the House of Chiefs said, we should continue and go ahead to codify the succession. Nowadays, the kingmakers have become corrupt and so, even though they know the rightful person, a big envelope can change their minds,” the president was quoted as saying.

The President expressed concern that financial inducements have, in some instances, influenced traditional processes, leading to the selection of individuals without legitimate claims to stools or skins.

“They go and bring somebody who has absolutely nothing to do with the royal family and want to install the person as the leader of the traditional area. And that is what creates the conflicts,” President Mahama reportedly said.

For us at The Chronicle, the President’s proposal deserves serious national consideration, given the rate at which chieftaincy disputes have, in one way or another, led to the loss of lives, the destruction of property and the curtailment of development.

Therefore, President Mahama’s proposal, in our view, may become one of the most significant governance reforms affecting Ghana’s traditional institution in recent times. His observation that some kingmakers have allowed financial inducements to influence the selection of chiefs may be uncomfortable, but it is a reality that many Ghanaians have long whispered about.

The President has simply given voice to a problem that has, for decades, fuelled unnecessary litigation, violence, loss of lives and stalled development across many traditional areas.

Chieftaincy remains one of Ghana’s oldest and most respected institutions. Chiefs are custodians of culture, land and tradition. Their authority extends beyond customary rituals into local governance, conflict resolution and community development. It is, therefore, unacceptable that succession to such an important office is increasingly becoming a source of division rather than unity.

Across the country, unresolved chieftaincy disputes continue to consume communities that should instead be focusing on development. In the Western Region alone, disputes in Wassa Fiase, Atuabo, Salma, Ahanta, Sekondi and several other traditional areas have persisted for years, sometimes decades.

Court battles, rival installations, violent confrontations and deep divisions among royal families have become recurring features of the chieftaincy landscape. The cost of these disputes goes beyond the palace.

These are some of the reasons why we are supporting the president’s call to codify all succession plans. When the rightful succession order is clearly documented and accepted by all recognised royal families, it becomes far more difficult for individuals without legitimate lineage to claim stools or skins through financial influence or political connections.

However, this reform must be approached with sensitivity and extensive consultation. Chieftaincy is rooted in customary law, and customs vary from one traditional area to another. The exercise must, therefore, be led by traditional authorities themselves, supported by legal experts, historians and the National House of Chiefs.

The reason we at The Chronicle would want this reform to be undertaken with careful consideration is that the Chieftaincy Act, 2008, spells out how chiefs can be destooled by way of petition. However, this clearly enshrined provision appears to be abused and sidestepped.

We are saying the Government’s role in this reform should, therefore, be to facilitate the process rather than dictate its outcome. The resulting records must also be credible, regularly updated and legally recognised to prevent future attempts at distortion.

In our opinion, President Mahama has opened an important national conversation. Ghana should seize this opportunity to modernise the administration of chieftaincy without compromising the sanctity of tradition. For a nation that continues to cherish its traditional heritage while pursuing democratic development, that is a reform worth embracing.

 

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