Government will continue to dialogue with traditional leaders

Accra, Sept. 19, GNA - President John Evans Atta Mills on Saturday said government would continue to dialogue with traditional leaders for timely assistance, to enable it to undertake national development. Mr John Henry Martey Newman, Chief of Staff, said this when he read a speech on behalf of the President at a luncheon hosted by Nii Armah Ashietey, Greater Accra Regional Minister, for traditional leaders from the Ga State to climax the celebration of this year's Homowo festival, at his residence in Accra.

Mr Newman said government was aware of the migration of the youth from the rural areas to Accra and Tema, which has resulted in crime and sanitation problems.

He said the government would make agriculture attractive to discourage the rural youth from migrating to urban centres for jobs and called on the traditional leaders to mobilize the people for agriculture development.

Mr Adjei Annang, Member of the Council of State, said the Homowo festival was meant to settle squabbles among families and called on the chiefs to resolve their differences for the development of the Ga State. Nii Ashietey, Greater Accra Regional Minister, said recently, succession disputes and land litigation, which were a drain on scarce resources, tendered to mar the beauty of the festival, compelling government to impose restrictions on the otherwise beautiful outdoor ceremony of the festival.

He said "Let me state categorically once more that as Regional Minister, I am not the one to decide who is a legitimate chief and who is not. My mandate is to ensure that peace and security in the region are maintained as well as be your partner in development among others". Nii Ashietey said government would start a dialogue with Ga chiefs on how to resolve differences to prove to the rest of Ghana and the world that, "we can accommodate, tolerate and co-exist without conflict."

He said the culture of impunity with which land guards in the region attacked and maltreated innocent people as well as land owners was appalling, repugnant and unacceptable.

Nii Ashietey said the security agencies have been directed to arrest such bandits for prosecution without fear or favour. He said the numerous chieftaincy disputes in Accra could better be resolved through the goodwill of interested parties rather than going to the law court.

Nii Ashietey said that disputes lead to financial waste to the detriment of the development of the people.

He stressed that: "the escalating intra-tribal violence in Accra as a result of chieftaincy dispute has jeopardized the stability of the entire region and the nation as a whole" and urged interested parties to work towards peaceful resolution of these disputes.

Nii Ashietey commended the chiefs of the Ga State for a relatively peaceful celebration of Homowo.