Bawumia pledges to restore powers of chiefs

The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) flagbearer, Mahamudu Bawumia, has pledged to restore power to Ghana’s chiefs, promising sweeping reforms to grant traditional leaders a more active role in governance should he be elected in the upcoming general election.

Bawumia, speaking on Saturday (26 October) during his Oti regional tour in Krachi East, addressed the Oti Regional House of Chiefs, clergy, and NPP members, advocating for an amendment to the Chieftaincy Act. 

He argued that Ghana’s constitution missteps by sidelining chiefs from governance and that the nation stands to benefit from their involvement in managing local affairs.

“Under my government, I will amend the chieftaincy act to empower chiefs to enforce discipline effectively and help govern the country by settling cases that are supposed to be settled at their level without going to the court,” Bawumia said. 

“So I am proposing an amendment of Section 63D of the Chieftaincy Act, and this is what my manifesto committee recommends: that we amend Section 63D of the Chieftaincy Act and give more power back to the chiefs.”

Bawumia’s proposed amendments to Section 63D of the Chieftaincy Act aim to reduce the judicial backlog, enabling chiefs to swiftly address and resolve disputes within their communities. 

He acknowledged that a lack of discipline had pervaded society, attributing this to the diminished authority of traditional leaders. 

Restoring these powers, he believes, will encourage stability at the local level, ultimately benefiting the entire nation.

The vice president also committed to establishing a sustainable financial structure to support paramount and divisional chiefs, as well as queen mothers, through living wages and adequate resources. 

“We have given them responsibilities and we need to resource them to effectively work to build the country and their communities,” he remarked.

Bawumia’s proposals were met with enthusiasm from chiefs and queen mothers, who expressed appreciation for his commitment to elevating the status of traditional leaders. 

They commended the flagbearer for his dedication and wished him success on his journey to becoming Ghana’s next president.

Reporting by Solomon Mensah-Ahiable in the Oti Region

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