Six divisional chiefs whose stools have been elevated to paramountcies were yesterday introduced to the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs (GARHC) in Dodowa in the Shai Osudoku District of the Greater Accra Region.
They are Gbese Mantse, Nii Ayi-Bonte II; Sempe Mantse, Nii Adote Otintor II; Otubluhum Mantse, Nii Dodoo Nsaki II; Asere Tsono Mantse, Nii Quao Donkor II; Abola Mantse, Nii Ahele Nunoo III and Akumadjen Mantse, Nii Ayikai III.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Vice President of the GARHC, King Odaifio Wulentse III, said that the GARHC, as part of its efforts to foster unity in the Greater Accra Traditional Area, would ensure that existing pockets of violence in some areas would cease.
He revealed that “the GARHC will put in place guidelines, very soon, for appointing or choosing acting presidents of a traditional council in the event of the Paramount chief’s demise.”
King Odaifio Wulentse III hinted of the GARHC decision to partner the government to bring development to the various communities, in the areas of education, health, resolution of disputes including chieftaincy disputes in the region.
He further called on all feuding factions in chieftaincy disputes to exercise restraint and use the lawful means to seek redress, instead of resorting to violence and other unlawful means, saying that “the House is resolved to discharge its duty of expeditiously settling the chieftaincy disputes.”
He added that the membership of the six stools, although recognized by the GARHC, the amendment of the legislative Instrument 2409 would provide legal backing for their induction.
“When the amendment is done and they become members, they would then be inducted and or admitted into the House as members to take their respective seats in the House,” he explained.
The Administrator, Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands (OASL), Maame Ama Edumadze-Acqua, stated that her outfit would collaborate with relevant public agencies and traditional authorities to prepare a policy framework for the rational and productive development and management of stool lands.
The administrator appealed to the GARHC to properly educate their tenants who had acquired stool lands from them to proceed to the OASL offices to pay their rents before handing over relevant documents to them.
She further urged the GARHC to inform the OASL when the property ownership changed, saying that “this was very important to our operations and serves as the first point of data collection for revenue mobilisation.”
BY JESSEL LARTEY THERSON-COFIE, DODOWA
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