NewzMinister-designate Mahama Ayariga has outlined what he believes should be the proper role of the Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Minister in matters concerning Ghana’s traditional leadership. Speaking during his vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Thursday, August 27, Mr Ayariga said the Minister’s responsibility should be limited to providing support to the established chieftaincy institutions and should not extend to deciding or influencing specific disputes. He said the Chieftaincy Act and the Constitution impose an obligation on ministers acting on behalf of the President to provide support services to the National House of Chiefs, Regional Houses of Chiefs and Traditional Councils.
“The Chieftaincy Act and the Constitution impose an obligation on ministers who are acting on behalf of the President to provide support services to the institution,” he said. Mr Ayariga stressed that specific chieftaincy matters should be left to the institutions with the appropriate jurisdiction, including the traditional councils, Regional and National Houses of Chiefs and, ultimately, the Supreme Court. “When there is any chieftaincy matter, it is only the National House of Chiefs, the Regional Houses of Chiefs and the Supreme Court that has jurisdiction to address it,” he said, adding that this principle would guide his conduct if approved as Minister.
Minister-designate for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, has pledged to work towards securing increased government funding for the Chieftaincy Institution if approved by Parliament. Speaking before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Thursday, August 27, the Bawku Central MP described the Chieftaincy Institution as one of the most important constitutionally guaranteed establishments in Ghana. According to him, the Constitution assigns significant responsibilities to traditional authorities, making adequate resourcing of the institution necessary to enable it to perform its functions effectively.
He noted that the chieftaincy institution operates at various levels, from traditional councils and paramountcies to the regional and National Houses of Chiefs. “The Chieftaincy Institution is perhaps, if not the most important, constitutionally guaranteed establishment. And we have in the Constitution assigned very important responsibilities to the Chieftaincy Institution,” he said.
Mr Ayariga explained that traditional authorities play both legislative and adjudicatory roles within the traditional governance system. “They are both a legislative body and an adjudicatory institution, from the traditional council level to the paramouncy to the regional House of Chiefs to the National House of Chiefs,” he added. Push for increased funding The minister-designate said adequate financial support for the Chieftaincy Institution could contribute significantly to improving governance at the local, regional and national levels.
He therefore promised to engage the Minister for Finance to ensure that sufficient budgetary allocations are made to support the institution. “What I can assure you is that I will try and get the Minister of finance to make adequate budgetary provision for the chieftaincy institution,” Mr Ayariga told the committee. He, however, said government funding would not be the only avenue through which resources could be generated to support institutions operating at the local level.
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