NGO ORGANISES WORKSHOPS FOR CHIEFS (PAGE 22, OCT 17)

IN an effort to bring lasting peace to the three northern regions, the Sustainable Peace Initiative (SPI), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), is organising a series of capacity building workshops for the various Regional Houses of Chiefs and the registrars of the various traditional councils.
The support includes legal support to the houses to hear and dispose of chieftaincy disputes.
An official of SPI, Mr J.S. Babinah, made this known at a workshop for members of the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs in Wa.
Topics treated at the workshops included prerogative writs, Chieftaincy Act 2008 and expectations from chairmen and members of judicial committees.
According to Mr Babinah, the workshops were designed to enlighten chiefs and staff on the Chieftaincy Act and Act 759, as well as other laws governing the chieftaincy institution.
He said the 1992 Constitution provided an all inclusive and highly participatory system of governance and also guaranteed the protection of institutions and individual rights, adding, “This confirms and reflects the cherished desires of all Ghanaians.”
Mr Babinah said the protection of institutions under the 1992 Constitution extended to the chieftaincy institution too so “let us be informed and hold steadfastly to the tenets of the rules governing our cherished institution”.
He stated that the import of the workshop was therefore to give the chiefs the orientation to appreciate chieftaincy laws and operations of judicial committees.
Mr Babinah urged the participants to use the opportunity to orient themselves of the laws governing the chieftaincy institution in order not to fall foul of the law.
A registrar at the National House of Chiefs in Kumasi, Naa Damale, said the chieftaincy institution was still relevant and that the calibre of chiefs in the country attested to that.
“Is the institution dying? Certainly not,” he added.
 Naa Damale urged the participants to use the opportunity to orient themselves of the laws governing the chieftaincy institution.
A legal practitioner, Mr Elias Bruttoh, enjoined the participants to be conversant with the rules of their duties.