Jirapa (UW/R), July 10, GNA – Naa Dikomwine Domalae, the President of the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs, has advocated a scholarship scheme for chieftaincy institution employees to upgrade their skills.
He said the institution should also support its workers to acquire study leave with pay to enable them to upgrade their knowledge and skills to provide quality services to the public.
Naa Domalae said this at the opening of the Second Triennial Delegates Congress of the Ghana National Association of Chieftaincy Workers (GNACWO) at Jirapa at the weekend, attended by about 66 delegates and 40 observers.
It was on the theme: “Resurrecting the Chieftaincy Institution to Promote Peace and Development”.
Participants will, among other things, elect new executives to handle the affairs of the Association for the next three years.
While encouraging members of the Association to be ambitious and aspire for their personal development, the Chief called on the House to consider a scheme that would allow staff to undertake part time courses.
“Be creative, take the appropriate initiatives and create a resilient, enduring and prosperous future for your members, with excellent public service at the core of your activities,” Naa Domalae, the Paramount Chief of the Daffiama Traditional Area, added.
Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, the Upper West Regional Minister, in a speech read on his behalf, acknowledged the chieftaincy institution as “an embodiment of peace” that propelled national development.
He commended the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs for the technical support to the chiefs to resolve disputes.
The Regional Minister indicated that the government was developing strategies to enable chieftaincy institution staff to build their capacities as well as provide motivational packages for the staff as part of efforts to reduce or prevent chieftaincy and land disputes in the country.
“What is imperative for you as chieftaincy workers is to remain professional and desist from meddling in chieftaincy and land disputes in order not to fuel them to escalate,” he said.
“What is only expected of you is to provide the needed technical expertise and support to various committees of the House so as to guarantee the dignity of the revered chieftaincy institution.”
Dr Bin Salih urged the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs to expedite the process of settling disputes pending before it to further enhance the enviable peace prevailing in the region.
He cited the Funsi, Kojokperi, Wellimbelle, Zini, Kperisi and Kundugu chieftaincy petitions and the Dakpaa Jurisdictional petition as some of the cases pending.
The Regional Minister noted that the peaceful resolution of those cases would engender social cohesion and enhance peace, a prerequisite for the development of those traditional areas and the region at large.
Present at the Congress were the Paramount Chief of the Lawra Traditional Area, Naa Puowele Karbo III, who is also the Vice President of the Upper West Regional and National Houses of Chiefs, representatives of the Gonja Traditional Area, Upper West Regional Member of the Council of State, and some traditional authorities in the region.
GNA