Involve chiefs in ECOWAS Summit-Nana Angu II

Accra, Dec. 17, GNA - Nana Kwabena Angu II, Apintohene of Awoduah in the Wassa West district on Wednesday appealed to the ECOWAS Secretariat and Heads of State and Governments of member countries of the Union to grant chiefs and other traditional rulers in the West African sub-region observer status at all ECOWAS Summits.
He said conflicts, wars, and other social vices confronting the sub-region required a holistic approach and the contributions of traditional rulers could help reduce politicisation of pertinent issues that affects the well being of the people.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, Nana Angu said, over 80 per cent of the people in the sub-region were indirectly governed by traditional rulers but the ECOWAS has failed to recognise its their authority and to involved them at the highest level of decision making.
He said in rural areas, traditional authority superseded state authority and this had been the remote cause of some of the conflicts in the sub-region. Nana Angu said culture has brought the citizens of member states together as one people with a common heritage and their way of life has assisted them to develop on their own adding, "we must as a body and people protect our traditional heritage".
Nana Angu also stressed the need for the inculcation of the cultural, traditional norms and values of member states into their body politics. He said cultural and traditional values of a country did not only ensure peace, unity and development but also helped to identify the origin and social standing of the people.
Nana Angu noted "We tolerate other people's culture, your culture tells you what you are, and Ghanaian culture for instance should not make the youth rebels, because the nation require the youth's devotion and loyalty".
He also called for the upholding of family and chieftaincy systems, stressing the institutions must be recognized in modern day democratic governance in more practical terms.
Nana Angu called for cultural transformation because there were some practices militating against the advancement of the people adding, " culture is not static but dynamic".
Nana Angu also called for the protection of the people's customs and traditions by ensuring they were not adulterated by foreign culture.
Nana Angu urged the youth to eschew apathy, violence, and acts of militarism that goes to hinder the development of their countries and the entire West African sub-region.
He advised the youth to respect traditional institutions, rule of law and to be responsibly stressing, "the increasing negative attitude by some young people had resulted in armed robberies, rape and general lawlessness.
Nana Angu said: "There is, therefore, the need to bring back some aspects of the people's culture, which could help to bring sanity into society, we need to revive the relevant cultural practices". The Apintohene also called on his fellow traditional rulers to preserve the chieftaincy institution from disintegrating stressing, "chieftaincy was loosing its esteem because of disputes, rivalry and bickering among traditional authorities".
He also asked traditional authorities not support people who would like to destroy everything indigenous and African for their personal benefit.
Nana Angu said: "Let us make this institution the turbine pushing for the dignity, progress and good governance and not the bane of our people's welfare."
He stressed the need for traditional authorities to consolidate the unity among the different ethnic groups under their jurisdiction. Commenting on the campaign against HIV/AIDS, Nana Angu called on individual and governments to insist on puberty rite that forbade people from having sex until they become adults adding AIDS is not about the use of condoms, but the strong will to abstain from unwarranted sex. The Apintohene said drug abuse resulted in personal tragedy, severe damage to health, the destruction of society, and economic breakdown. Nana Angu said, "the more one learns about drug problems and their impact on individuals, families, communities, the nation and the world at large, the more one becomes discouraged and even frightened."