Expunge Losers Names From The Register Of National House Of Chiefs - Minister

Dr Henry Seidu Dannaa, Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, has appealed to winners in the Sempe and New Juabeng chieftaincy disputes, to endeavour to get the names of the losers expunged from the Register of the National House of Chiefs, as that would serve as the only criterion for winners to gain recognition. He said, although the Ministry would not dabble in any chieftaincy dispute, the only way the winners could gain the needed recognition from the Ministry and other relevant agencies, would be for them to work on getting the names of the losers expunged from the Register of the National House of Chiefs. Taking his turn at the �Meet the Press� series on Tuesday, Dr Danaa, said it would be very difficult for the Ministry and other Agencies to deal with anyone who might have been declared a winner in any chieftaincy dispute by the court, but failed to ensure that he or she got his or her name in the list of the National House of Chiefs. He appealed to people to desist from causing mayhem as many communities prepare to celebrate their festivals. He said the Ministry would form an Alliance with Queen-mothers, to educate their communities on the need to desist from illegal mining. He said the Ministry would work to ensure that the chieftaincy institution became a vibrant one, with a lot of respect, to enable it contribute meaningfully to the nation's socio-economic development. He recounted that, last year, the Ministry trained 40 staff, to enable them perform their duties appropriately. �In collaboration with the National House of Chiefs and the USAID, we have also launched a programme, aimed at eliminating or minimizing harmful cultural practices,� he said. He said the Ministry also collaborated with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, and organized a two-day workshop for queen-mothers at Dodowa, to equip them with the requisite knowledge on how to curb negative cultural practices, and establish new camps for the witches in Gambaga. He added that the Ministry had also employed 15 staff to serve as chieftaincy research personnel, and has also set up a 10-member Advisory Board with diverse background and expertise. He intimated that the Ministry would endeavour to organize more capacity-building programmes for its staff this year, and recruit more staff for research. Dr Dannaa cited inadequate funding, staffing and poor state of infrastructure, as some of the major challenges facing the Ministry. He regretted that chieftaincy disputes had become a source or worry to the country and the government, adding that the Ministry had begun taking measures to address them. Dr Dannaa said Ghana�s chieftaincy institution had become so well established that it had attracted a lot of Governments and other traditional leaders to come and learn about it. He said the Ministry had developed sectorial goals, aimed at guiding its programmes and activities to make them effective. He said the Ministry had established a complaint desk to take care of complaints from all stakeholders.