STOP ALL CHIEFTAINCY DISPUTES (NOV 17, PAGE 31)

The Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, has appealed to those behind chieftaincy disputes, particularly in the Upper West Region and other parts of the country to stop forthwith and rather help to resolve them to pave the way for the needed peace and security to prevail.
He urged them to use the alternative dispute resolution mechanism in resolving disputes rather than resorting to the law courts.
The Vice-President made the appeal at the introduction of Richard Badini Kanton as the Kuoro (chief) of the Tumu Traditional Area at Tumu yesterday at the beginning of his visit to the Upper West Region.
Mr Mahama said the peaceful resolution of disputes in the Upper West Region and other parts of the country would help to eliminate bitterness and high legal costs usually associated with litigation.
He noted that the rising trend of disputes in the Upper West Region was disturbing since the situation could retard the progress and development of the region.
“Happily , however, you have not allowed these conflicts to generate into violence, which is quiet commendable. However, there is the need to appreciate the consequences these disputes pose to development,” he stated.
The Vice-President said besides the energy and resources spent, litigation could send wrong signals to potential investors, a situation which could make the region unattractive.
Moreover, he said, disputes also bred a sense of general insecurity as it adversely affected the human resource development of the affected areas.
Mr Mahama said the cultures and traditional norms of the people of Ghana and northern Ghana in particular, had one element in common, which was the use of traditional ceremonies as a unifying factor among the various ethnic groups in any particular area.
The Vice-President underscored the need for the people in the Tumu Traditional Area to protect the environment in order that the area could continue to contribute immensely towards food production.
He, therefore,called on the traditional authorities, assembly members, unit committee members and the entire citizenry of the region to adopt strategies in order to halt the unhealthy practice which affected the environment and the survival of the people.
He announced that the government had decided to develop the Tumu Secondary Technical School into a full fledged boarding institution.
Mr Mahama said such a development would bring relief to parents and the educational authorities as well as improve teaching and learning.
The Vice-President said the introduction of a new chief for the traditional area offered yet another opportunity to the people to forge closer co-operation and contribute meaningfully towards the development of the area.
The Tumu Kuoro, Badini Kanton, was happy that the traditional area had remained peaceful and attributed the situation to the commitment of the people to uphold the values and ideals of their forefathers.
He gave a pledge to offer responsible leadership to sustain the peace in the traditional area.