The Chief of Agona Asafo in the Central Region and Nimfahen of the Agona Nyakrom Traditional Area, Nana Yamfo Esuako XII has called for the review of the Chieftaincy Act to empower traditional rulers as in the day of old.
According to him, the scrapping of aspects of the Acts such as failure to respond to a Chief’s call from the Constitution, which was hitherto a criminal offense liable for prosecution has turned to disempower traditional rulers, thereby contributing to moral decadence in the society.
Nana Yamfo Esuako who was speaking in an interview with Ghana News noted that when the Chieftaincy Acts is reviewed. The powers of traditional rulers are given back to them, it will help correct the problem of moral decadence in the society, and also help mediate in some of the many cases bedeviling the law courts, rather than referring them to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
According to him, cases such as social misconduct and non-criminal offenses. such as violation of cultural and traditional norms could be dealt with by conventional rulers, if their powers are given back to them.
A trained security personnel by profession, Nana Yamfo Esuako, pointed out that because of democracy and its associated human rights, society is gradually losing its grip on morality, as in most cases, some people who are summoned by traditional rulers to appear before them will refuse to heed to the call, and dare such traditional ruler to take them to court.
“Democracy is good, but its associated human rights is killing our moral fiber.
Human rights here, human rights there is not helping us as Ghanaians and also as Africans” he stressed. He also expressed support for the call by a section of the public for the creation of a Second Chamber in Parliament for traditional rulers and the Clergy to participate in deliberations on the floor of the House.
According to those advocates, when that is established, tradition and morality will be considered in any decision or law that will taken by the House, and could address issues such as the LGBTQ+ which has become a bone of contention in the House for some time now.
By: Robert Ayanful