The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has urged traditional rulers to put their differences aside, and settle chieftaincy disputes to ensure peace and national development.
He lamented that the country has recorded 11 curfews as of last week, due to Chieftaincy disputes.
Mr Mohammed-Mubarak, who made the call at the general meeting of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs, asked chiefs across the country to find alternative ways of resolving chieftaincy disputes.
The minister, who is also a Member of Parliament for Asawase in the Ashanti Region, urged chiefs to establish joint security committees, comprising representatives from the houses, security agencies and local government, to facilitate information sharing and coordination.
He also asked the house to regularly brief security agencies on local security concerns and trends.
“To support the government and the ministry in the area of security, there is a need to organise community sensitisation programmes to educate citizens on security best practices and promote a culture of vigilance,” Mr Mohammed-Mubarak said.
“As traditional leaders, you play a vital role in maintaining peace and security within your respective communities. Your influence and authority are essential in promoting stability and resolving conflicts, it for this reason I urge you to continue working tirelessly to maintain peace in your jurisdictions, as it is through peace that development can be attained,” he said.
Mr Mohammed-Mubarak noted that vigilantism and land guard activities posed threats to peace and security, adding that “I appeal to you to support the security services in disbanding this act of lawlessness.”
The President of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs, Prof. Odaifio Welentsi III, said the issue of rival chiefs, all claiming to be substantive chiefs of their respective traditional areas was a threat to security of the Greater Accra Region.
He explained that “the security threat manifest during the celebration of the Homowo and other festivals when each of these chiefs decide to celebrate the festival in the capacity of the substantive chiefs.”
“The Ga Adangbe lands that were acquired by the Government but are no longer used for the purpose for which they were acquired, we would urge the government to return them to the original owners as promised by the President during his campaigning,” Prof. Odaifio Welentsi III said.
He appealed to the Regional Minister to liaise with the appropriate authorities to preserve the forest of Dodowa and Pinkwai forest in Katamanso for posterity.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mrs Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, promised to work with relevant security agencies to prevent and restore these forest reserves in the region.
She also assured that she would work with the Regional House of Chiefs to resolve land litigation.