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The Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Kwame Acheampong, has admitted that chieftaincy disputes in the region was his major challenge in his first year in office.

“We have been challenged by some chieftaincy disputes that hampers on public safety, and so we’ve had permanent personnel stationed in certain areas which even preceded my entry into the region . . . they are indeed a stress on our economy, on our budget, on our funds which we always would want to use alternative means of settling such disputes,” he said.

“We have also persevered to get ourselves introduce to the length and breadth of the region through our traditional leadership, the eleven paramountcies that we have in the region, we have visited and engaged all of them and will continue to engage them, and so we have a very smooth administration once you dialogue with them they are able to express their concerns and challenges then you are also able to work towards them,” the Minister added.

Seth Kwame Acheampong hinted that even though chieftaincy dispute is one of the causes of instability in the Region, it is not an absolute force to create instability in the region, saying, it is preventable once mechanisms are put in place to engage with the king makers, and for him as a Minister will continue to engage them.

“Alternative dispute resolution mechanisms are what we are hoping and praying to bring to the fore to ensure that we have these misunderstandings all settled,” he said.

In respect of public safety, the Regional Minister said highway robbery menace has been dealt with through effective collaboration with the Inspector General of Police.

”In a collaboration with the Inspector General of police, we were able to deploy some high level anti robbery squad in some areas of the region to help return some calm and peace into our region, fortunately we’ve made progress, it is not an event, it is a process and we are still ongoing in respect to that aspect of our existence here,” he said.

Besides that, the Minister said in the area of businesses, government programs has help the region by opening up the local economy to create jobs.

"We had the Mama Grace garment at Efiduase, and a shoe factory in Akropong as well as a poultry farm in Akyem Wenkyi, and we have been able to also ensure that certain infrastructure have been developed and upgraded, some school buildings with support from GETFUND and some under the administrator of the common fund”.

He concluded that the aim of his administration over the past one year is to create secured environment, facilitate development and expand job opportunities.