Koforidua, May 14, GNA - Mr Mohammed Ahmed Baba Jamal, Deputy Easte= rn Regional Minister, has stressed the need for kingmakers to ensure that rightful heirs are installed to help minimize the numerous chieftaincy disputes. He observed that the enstoolment of "wrong persons" accounted for m= any of the chieftaincy disputes across the country.

Mr Baba Jamal said it was easier installing chiefs than destooling them and appealed to kingmakers to be meticulous when nominating people a= s chiefs. The deputy regional minister, who was addressing a meeting of the Akyem Kotoku Traditional Council, at Akyem Oda, on Thursday, expressed wo= rry about the protracted chieftaincy dispute in the area and appealed to them= to reconcile with each other to help accelerate the pace of development. He advised members of the Traditional Council to use their wisdom a= nd experience to resolve all disputes in the area.

Mr Baba Jamal said the chieftaincy institution had time immemorial been relevant, adding that the government was neither thinking of amendin= g any legal instrument nor working towards sidelining the institution. It would rather support it to reform and grow at its own pace to me= et the demands and challenges of the time, he explained. He spoke against illegal mining and chainsaw lumbering and appealed= to the people, especially the youth, to take steps to regularize their operations to protect the vital resource of the land. Mr Baba Jamal later introduced Ms Ophelia Koomson, the newly confir= med Municipal Chief Executive of Birim Central to the chiefs and thanked them=

for their various roles leading to her approval. Mr D.Y. Fofie, Regional Registrar, Eastern Regional House of Chiefs= , in his opening remarks, was happy that the Council was meeting for the fi= rst time in 10 years after the death of Okofrobuor Agyemang Attafuah IV, who was the Omanhene of the area.

He thanked members of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, under t= he leadership of Daasebre Oti Boateng, for making the meeting a reality, aft= er several abortive attempts. Mr Fofie appealed to the chiefs to accept the gesture so that "Koto= ku will regain what we may have lost over the years." Obrempong Affum Afroteng the IV, Acting President, Akyem Kotoku Traditional Area, called for an end to bitterness and rancour among the chiefs to promote development in the area. A judicial committee was later inaugurated to settle chieftaincy disputes in some towns in the traditional area. The towns are Ntronang, Asuboa South, Amoa, Mamaso, Kusi, Akokoaso,=

Adausena and Nyafoma. 14 May 10