Dodowa, Aug. 29, GNA – The Greater Accra Region House of Chiefs has revealed that the positions of Acting Traditional Presidents are purely statutory and not customarily.
The house called on such personalities not to meddle in the installation of Paramount Chiefs.
“Acting Traditional Presidents have no power to take over Palaces or Stools as it is not within their mandate,” Nene Aadegbon Ngmongmowuyaa Animle Vl, President of the Greater Accra Region House of Chiefs has stated.
Nene Animle VI who stated the position of the House at Dodowa noted that at the introduction of an Acting Presidents to the House of Chiefs, such personalities were taken through their functions as Acting Presidents of the Traditional Councils.
He said they were also schooled on requirement as they represented their Traditional Councils/Area at the House in the absence of their Paramount Chief, who were their substantive Presidents of the Traditional Councils and as members of the House.
He said Acting Presidents were not Acting Paramount Chiefs, and therefore could not perform the customary function of the Paramount Chief including; alienation of any stool land Property (movable or immovable land), (Paramount Stool Land), creation of new stools, among others.
“Acting Presidents performed the functions of the President of the Traditional Council as stipulated by the Chieftaincy Act and other enactments.
“What this means is that if the Acting President is a Mankralo, he is required to perform the duties and functions conferred on him by custom, as Mankralo.
“And in his capacity as the Acting President, he is required to preside over meetings of the Traditional Council, and give direction to the Registrar in relation to correspondence to and from the Council, nothing more nothing less,” he said.
Nene Animle Vl who doubles as Paramount Chief of Osudoku Traditional Area noted that the Acting Presidents could not serve in the Judicial Committee of the Regionn’s House of Chiefs and any Paramountcy, whose President of the Traditional Council ‘goes to the village,’ that should not halt the operations of the Traditional Council.
“For the Council to continue to operate and function, there should be someone appointed to steer affairs of the Traditional Council until a new Paramount Chief is enstooled, to assume his position as President of the Council that is where an Acting President is appointed,” he said.
Nene Animle VI said the House, made policies and took decisions that affected Chieftaincy in the Region which must be conveyed to the members of the Traditional Councils by the President of the Council, who is a member of the House of Chiefs for compliance.
“It is in the light of this that the Acting President of the Traditional Council when elected/selected or appointed as the case may be are introduced to the House of Chiefs, to be known by the House, and be invited to meetings and other programmes of the House.
“It must be noted that an Acting President is not acting Paramount Chief and that makes their presence at House of Chiefs meetings and other programmes temporary.
GNA