The government says it intends to establish a fund that would support the activities of chiefs and traditional rulers as part of long-term financing measures for those institutions.
Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Minister, Stephen Asamoah Boateng, says a bill would be presented to Parliament in May, to give legal backing to the establishment of a Chieftaincy Development Fund.
The fund is intended to cover costs for training chiefs as mediators and other learning outcomes on modern methods of conflict resolution.
It’s also expected to cover the logistical needs of chiefs in all communities, although details of the initiative seem scanty.
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“It’s about time we put attention on our traditional leaders so they can take up some responsibility of the State. If the central fund is not reaching us, we create our own fund. Government must fund the Chieftaincy Fund. It sounds radical but it’s necessary. It is the only way the chiefs can take care of their communities without recourse to politicians,” Asamoah Boateng said last Friday when he met the Volta Region House of Chiefs.
Should the proposal get Parliamentary approval, it would be the first time a dedicated Fund has been put in place to support the activities of traditional rulers.