By Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo, GNA
Nungua, June 23, GNA – Mr Francis Opai Tetteh, General Secretary of the Council for GaDangme Divisional Chiefs and Queens, has called for the repositioning and rebranding of the chieftaincy institution to play a more effective role in promoting socio-economic development across Ga and Dangme communities.
He said many Ga and Dangme traditional areas lagged behind other parts of the country in terms of development, a situation that required a renewed approach to traditional leadership and community mobilisation.
Mr Tetteh made the call following a quarterly meeting of the council, a collaborative body made up of divisional chiefs and queens who serve as cabinet ministers within their respective traditional areas.
The council comprises traditional leaders from the paramountcies of Tema, Nungua, Teshie, La, Osu, Ngleshie Alata, Gbawe, Ada, Prampram, Ningo, Osudoku, Shai, Yilo Krobo, Manya Krobo and other GaDangme traditional areas.
He attributed the development gap partly to inadequate lobbying efforts by political leaders and the historical absence of major development interventions by some religious organisations within Ga and Dangme communities.
Mr Tetteh stressed the need for traditional leaders to address internal challenges that continued to undermine development efforts within their jurisdictions.
He identified internal disputes, multiple installations of chiefs and queens on the same stool, land-related conflicts and protracted chieftaincy litigation as major obstacles to progress.
To address such challenges, he said the council engaged an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) specialist during the meeting to equip traditional leaders with practical skills for resolving disputes amicably and avoiding lengthy court battles.
He noted that recommendations and resolutions from the meeting would be compiled into a working document to guide the council’s activities during the remaining quarters of the year.
Touching on land administration challenges, Mr Tetteh acknowledged concerns over allegations of multiple land sales involving some traditional authorities, adding, however, that responsibility for land disputes should also be shared by land guards, fraudsters and criminal syndicates engaged in land theft.
He explained that some individuals and groups deliberately encroached on lands belonging to indigenous families and communities, sometimes exploiting information on undeveloped lands to carry out illegal acquisitions.
Mr Tetteh cited instances where lands acquired decades ago had been unlawfully occupied and developed, making recovery difficult and often resulting in prolonged legal disputes.
He therefore urged prospective land buyers and developers to conduct thorough due diligence before acquiring land.
The general secretary also advised developers within the Greater Accra Region to embrace vertical development to maximise their efficient use of limited land resources.
“The space is not horizontal; the space is vertical. The space is up,” he said.
He encouraged developers to adopt modern urban planning practices by constructing multi-storey buildings rather than expanding horizontally, noting that such an approach would help address increasing land pressure in urban centres.
Mr Tetteh expressed optimism that, with stronger collaboration among traditional leaders, government agencies, and local communities, the GaDangme traditional areas could achieve sustainable development and preserve their cultural heritage for future generations.
GNA
Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo, GNA
[email protected]