The recent brouhaha between Odike and the Ashanti Traditional Council has got a lot of youth thinking about the important role of our chiefs in Ghana.
The Question
The biggest question raised by the youth is; who holds our traditional chiefs accountable for how resources are used in their jurisdictions? For instance, What happens to the proceeds from land sales?
What is their role in developing community beyond “we urge or plead with the government to build a toilet or school for us” ?
May be we should not blame only the Politicians alone for the state of this country because the chiefs are also part. Some sell lands in our communities and keep the monies to themselves without using it for the needed development.
What Do We Need To Do As A Nation For Our Traditional Authorities
Are our traditional authorities fully aware of the economic potentials of their jurisdictions and how they can optimise available resources? Our Chieftancy Ministry and the National House of Chiefs ought to be strategically restructured as soon as possible. They need to be made aware of their role in development of their communities.
Perhaps it’s time for the Chieftancy Minister, who as part of his revised mandate, can organise, persuade and transform our Traditional and Religious institutions into smart, effective and resourceful instruments for sustainable development.
If we’re able to do this in a structured way, chiefs who accept Toyota Corolla in exchange of their valuable lands and other resources will think twice before taking those retrogressive decisions. We’ll begin to see external investors many citizens returning to their hometowns to invest in viable enterprises to create jobs and wealth.
Visionary Plan
By this I mean proper visionary action-oriented development and not ‘one borehole and done’ development. We need leadership in all spheres to act on development, that includes traditional leadership. What is their strategic vision to make the most of resources they manage?
It also means the people must raise the bar of their expectations and be willing participants in execution.
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