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Political interference is destroying our chieftaincy institution!
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The Chieftaincy institution in Ghana is a system that structures and regulates the activity of local chieftains in the Ghanaian society and the state. It is one of the most respected and enduring traditional institutions in Ghana which has displayed a remarkable resilience from pre-colonial through colonial to post-colonial regimes.
In the past, the role of the chief was to lead the people in a war to defend, protect and extend their territories. The modern role is to combat poverty and other social ills, illiteracy, ignorance, environmental degradation and depletion of resources. These days, chiefs are under pressure to achieve good governance in their traditional areas and are challenged to integrate tradition and modernity, a process about which there is a considerable debate.
THE 1992 CONSTITUTION AND CHIEFTAINCY INSTITUTION
In accordance with Article 271 of the 1992 Constitution and Section 1 of the Chieftaincy Act 759, the National House of Chiefs is the umbrella body that regulates the activities of chiefs in this country. The House consist of five paramount chiefs from each region elected by the Regional House of Chiefs constituted in the various regions in the country. Prior to the creation of six new regions, the total membership of the National House of Chiefs stood at 50. This number is likely to increase with the creation of additional regions in the country.
The role of the chieftaincy institution in the national development as enshrined in the constitution is basically peacekeeping, peace enforcement, peacemaking and peacebuilding. It, therefore, presupposes that peace in general in pre-colonial era, was manifested in the functions of the institution in general and the chief in particular.
CHIEFTAINCY INSTITUTION LOSING RESPECT
Studies have shown that the once revered chieftaincy institution in Ghana has taken a nose dive with persistent conflicts which tend to tear the institution apart. The majority of these conflicts have been concentrated in northern part of the country, which have resulted in violent clashes leading to loss of lives and destruction of property. Notable areas in the north where chieftaincy conflicts have taken major toll on their economies include, Dagbon, Bawku, Bimbilla, Bolga and Bole.
It is also a fact that beyond the contest among royals, chieftaincy conflicts involve other actors such as politicians who use their influence on the people for political power. Politicians and youth groups have all influenced and manipulated chieftaincy conflicts for their own selfish motives. People not related to the chieftaincy contest and, therefore, have nothing to do with the chieftaincy matters sometimes take active interest in some of these conflicts and become embroiled in the escalation of the violence. Candidates for chieftaincy positions rely on the support of local and national political leaders to help them achieve their powers over traditional areas. Their association with the chiefs in the conflicts often comes with a cost.
ROLE OF NPP, NDC IN CHIEFTAINCY CONFLICT
The two main political parties in this country, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), have been identified as major actors in some of these chieftaincy conflicts in the country. It is also important to note that businessmen aligned to these two major parties use their wealth to sponsor some of these conflicts so that they eventually recoup the benefits when their favourite party comes to power.
If these politicians and businessmen will free themselves from fanning these chieftaincy conflicts, the institution will bounce back and regain its former glories as a profound body ready to provide that leadership role to the people.
DRAMA SURROUNDING INSTALLATION OF GA MANTSE
Another interesting development in the Ga State, is the drama surrounding the installation of a Ga Mantse. This particular case has seen a back and forward approach from the High Court to the Supreme Court, which is the final arbiter of the case. So far, there have been three High Court rulings concerning this Ga Chieftaincy issue involving Nii Adama Latse II and Dr Kelvin Tackie, over who is the legitimate occupant of the Ga Mantse stool.
The recent ruling by the Supreme Court was that the various high courts which heard the matter lacked the jurisdiction to adjudicate cases involving chieftaincy and that, the judges should have declined jurisdiction when the matter was brought before them for determination. The five-member bench, therefore, annulled the ruling of Justice Naa Adoley Azu on whose decision the two other judges, Justice Gifty Dekyem and Justice Nicholas Abodakpi also made in their determination of the case.
GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE IN CHIEFTAINCY MATTERS
It is a fact that government after government continues to either back or influence the installation of chiefs in the Ga state, making sure that their favourites are selected to occupy the stool even though they are not yet qualified for the throne. We have experienced that in many of the past regimes and this does not augur well for development. It rather polarizes the people and stalls development and progress.
In order to make the chieftaincy institution sacred and well respected, it is important for ruling governments not to involve themselves in the day to day activities of chiefs who are development agents in their various localities. They can only be consulted to facilitate development among people and under no circumstance should chiefs be allowed to play active roles in politics. The constitution has made it clear that chiefs who are interested in doing politics must abdicate the throne before wearing the political colour.
Currently the government has imposed a dusk to dawn curfew on the Bawku municipality and its environs in the Upper East Region following renewed chieftaincy dispute in the area. It has placed a total ban on all persons in the area from carrying arms and ammunition or any offensive weapons. There were gun shots in the Bawku township on Tuesday night of November 23, 2021, resulting in heightened tension. The incident is said to be linked to a planned performance of a “Bawku Chief’s” funeral who died 41 years ago.
SOLUTION TO CHIEFTAINCY CONFLICTS
In resolving chieftaincy disputes, conflicts and stopping their politicization, the various houses of chiefs should be empowered and be the only institution for handling chieftaincy issues. Besides, there is the need to codify the lines of succession of chiefs in our country. Sanctions must also be applied to politicians and other influential personalities who interfere in the chieftaincy institution.
The government must strengthen our chieftaincy institution by providing it with the needed support and resources to serve as agents of change in their localities rather infiltrating into their ranks to divide them and the people. It is equally important for the people to respect that sacred institution and not to allow themselves by politicians and businessmen to use them as guinea pigs while their children are confined in the comfort of their homes enjoying. When you die for the sake of chieftaincy dispute and conflict, you die for nothing and, therefore, you need to reject any move by politicians and businessmen to fight chieftaincy battles with no basis and relevance.
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By Charles Neequaye
“A woman who abandons her baby in a dustbin at Kasoa Lorry Station is not always a wicked woman. Sometimes, she is a wounded woman whose mind has broken, whose family has rejected her, and whose society has left her with only one terrible option: disappear or be disgraced.”
That is the hard truth Ghana must hear.
In the last 10 days alone, our nation has been confronted with the same painful headline, twice.
Case 1 – Kasoa Main Lorry Station, Central Region: A newborn baby girl was found abandoned inside a dustbin at the public toilet of the Kasoa Main Station. A woman who went to use the facility discovered the infant and raised an alarm. Commercial drivers and bystanders quickly retrieved the baby and rushed her to the Kasoa Polyclinic for emergency medical care.
Case 2 – Asante Bekwai, Ashanti Region: On Thursday morning, August 20, 2026, a two-week-old neonate was reportedly abandoned by an unknown nursing mother at Bekwai in the Ashanti Region. Residents who came across the child raised the alarm. The baby was admitted to the Bekwai Government Hospital as police commenced investigations.
Let me be clear from the start: Newborn abandonment is wrong. It is dangerous. It is criminal. And it can kill. This article does not excuse it. But if we only arrest and shame, we will never stop it. We must treat the root, not just punish the fruit.
What exactly is newborn abandonment? – The two definitions
The Legal Definition: Under Ghana’s Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), Section 96, and the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560), abandonment of a child under 12 years is a criminal offence. It is classified as exposure and abandonment, punishable as a misdemeanor or felony. The law sees the mother as a perpetrator.
The Psychological definition: In clinical textbooks, newborn abandonment is defined as the intentional, permanent relinquishment of all parental rights, care, and responsibilities over an infant within the first 28 days of life without making formal, legal arrangements for care.
To understand this crisis properly, we must not confuse it with child abandonment. Newborn abandonment happens within 0-28 days of life, often driven by acute panic, denial of pregnancy, or postpartum psychosis where the attachment bond never formed. Child abandonment, on the other hand, involves toddlers to teenagers where a bond existed but collapsed over time due to chronic poverty, family breakdown, or parental burnout. One is an acute crisis of the first month; the other is a chronic breakdown over years. Both are harmful, but they need different interventions.
Psychologically, newborn abandonment is the ultimate rupture of the primary attachment bond. Think of a 19-year-old university student who secretly gives birth alone in her hostel room, wraps the crying baby in a polythene bag, and drops it at a refuse dump at midnight. That is not just a crime scene; it is a scene of extreme panic and psychological dissociation.
Why would a mother carry a baby for 9 months and then abandon it?
This is the question every Ghanaian asks. If you wanted to abandon it, why not abort? The answer is deeply psychological:
1. The psychodynamics of denial of pregnancy: This is a profound defense mechanism, not a lie. The mother’s subconscious mind completely rejects the reality of the pregnancy. She does not gain weight normally, feels no kicks, does not seek antenatal care, and genuinely convinces herself she is not pregnant until sudden, shocking labour pains take her by surprise in a toilet or bedroom.
2. Fantasy of a dissolving problem: This is called cognitive avoidance. She believes “my boyfriend will come back,” “my mother will forgive me,” or “something miraculous will happen before birth.” So she waits, paralyzed, until the baby is here.
3. Barriers to safe abortion: Deep religious guilt, moral anxiety, fear of dying from a back-alley abortion, lack of money for a safe procedure, and family laws force her to carry to term even when she feels incapable.
4. The shock of reality and acute panic: Upon delivery, the physical presence and crying of the newborn shatters all denial. Confronted with immediate exposure, shame, and reality, her brain enters a trauma response — “fight, flight, or freeze.” For many, it becomes “flight” — physically escape the threat of exposure to survive socially. That is why babies are left in places where others will find them -lorry stations, churches, hospitals.
Source:
Counselor Prince Offei, CPAC’s founder, is a leading Mental Health Professional, Marriage Counsellor, Author, ADR Expert/Arbitrator, and Spectator Newspaper Columnist. He writes on relationships, marriage, parenting, special needs support, and their connection to mental health. For therapy, counselling, or enquiries, contact Counselor Prince & Associates Consult (CPAC) in Accra on 0559850604 / 0551428486.
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Features
Environmental stewardship is an act of worship: The Islamic response to climate change, environmental degradation (Part 4)
The environmental consequences of illegal mining have reached alarming levels in Ghana. Several major rivers, including the Pra, Ankobra, Offin, Birim and Tano, have experienced significant pollution from illegal mining activities, increasing the cost and complexity of water treatment while threatening the availability of potable water for millions of citizens (Water Resources Commission, 2024; Ghana Water Limited, 2024). These developments underscore the urgent need for stronger environmental governance and collective action.
Islam equally emphasises accountability in governance. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught that every leader is responsible for those under his or her authority (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 7138; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1829). This principle extends to public officials entrusted with environmental regulation, traditional authorities responsible for communal lands, mining companies, local assemblies, and community leaders. Environmental protection cannot succeed
where accountability is absent.
At the same time, addressing galamsey requires more than law enforcement. Sustainable solutions must tackle the underlying socio-economic realities that drive individuals into illegal mining. Many young people are motivated by unemployment, poverty, and limited economic opportunities. Islamic principles of social justice therefore call for the creation of alternative livelihoods through sustainable agriculture, vocational training, responsible small-scale mining under strict environmental standards, entrepreneurship, and skills development. Environmental protection and economic empowerment should not be viewed as competing priorities but as complementary goals that promote human dignity and national development.
Faith communities also have an indispensable role to play. Mosques, churches, schools, traditional councils, and civil society organisations possess significant influence in shaping public attitudes and behaviours. Imams, in particular, should consistently remind congregations that wealth acquired through actions that destroy communities and Allah’s creation cannot be regarded as a blessing. Religious education should cultivate environmental ethics alongside spiritual devotion, reinforcing the understanding that protecting rivers, forests, and farmlands is an expression of gratitude to Allah and a fulfilment of the trust of Khalifah.
Ultimately, the struggle against galamsey is more than a campaign to protect natural resources; it is a struggle to uphold justice, preserve human dignity, and honour the trust that Allah has placed upon humanity. Lasting solutions will require strong governance, responsible citizenship, sustainable economic opportunities, and renewed moral leadership. Only when these elements
work together can Ghana safeguard its natural heritage for present and future generations.
Water conservation, waste management and sustainable development: Practical expressions of Islamic stewardship
Religious education should cultivate environmental ethics alongside spiritual devotion, reinforcing the understanding that protecting rivers, forests, and farmlands is an expression of gratitude to Allah and a fulfilment of the trust of Khalifah.
Ultimately, the struggle against galamsey is more than a campaign to protect natural resources; it is a struggle to uphold justice, preserve human dignity, and honour the trust that Allah has placed upon humanity. Lasting solutions will require strong governance, responsible citizenship, sustainable economic opportunities, and renewed moral leadership. Only when these elements
work together can Ghana safeguard its natural heritage for present and future generations.
Islam is not merely a religion that condemns environmental destruction; it also provides practical guidance for preserving and sustaining the natural world. Through its teachings on moderation, cleanliness, conservation, and responsible consumption, Islam cultivates an environmental ethic that remains remarkably relevant to contemporary challenges such as water scarcity, pollution, waste management, and climate change. These teachings encourage Muslims to become
responsible custodians of Allah’s creation in both private and public life.
Water conservation: A sacred responsibility
Water occupies a unique position in Islam as the source of life and an essential element of worship. Allah says, “And We made from water every living thing. Then will they not believe?” (Qur’an 21:30, Sahih International). This verse reminds believers that water is not merely an economic resource but a divine blessing upon which all living creatures depend. The importance of water is further reflected in Islamic acts of worship. Muslims perform ablution (wudu) before the five daily prayers and ritual bathing (ghusl) under prescribed circumstances.
Yet, despite its central role in purification, Islam strongly discourages wastefulness. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once advised one of his companions not to waste water while performing ablution, even when using water from a flowing river (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 425). This timeless guidance establishes the principle that abundance does not justify extravagance.
Conservation remains a religious obligation regardless of the apparent availability of natural resources.
This Prophetic teaching carries profound implications for contemporary Ghana. Illegal mining has severely polluted many rivers, increasing the cost of water treatment and limiting access to safe drinking water for numerous communities. Climate change has also intensified seasonal variability in rainfall, placing additional pressure on freshwater resources (IPCC, 2023). Against this
backdrop, conserving water is no longer simply an environmental preference—it is a moral imperative grounded in Islamic teaching.
Water conservation should therefore become a shared responsibility among households, educational institutions, industries, and places of worship. Simple practices such as repairing leaking pipes, harvesting rainwater, protecting riverbanks, avoiding contamination of water bodies, and promoting efficient irrigation contribute to safeguarding one of Allah’s greatest blessings. Every effort to preserve water is an investment in public health, food security, and the
wellbeing of future generations.
Unfortunately, indiscriminate disposal of refuse remains a significant challenge in many communities. Plastic waste clogs drainage systems, contributes to flooding during the rainy season, pollutes rivers and beaches, and threatens marine ecosystems. Open burning of waste further degrades air quality and poses serious health risks, particularly for children and the elderly (UNEP,2024).
The author is Chief Imam of Katamanso Municipal and Certified Counsellor and Governnace Expert.
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