CHIEFTAINCY DISPUTES have been identified as a major hindrance to the effective development of communities and the country at large.
The Ahafo Ano South-East DCE, Thomas Owusu Ansah, who made the observation, has called for a stop of all chieftaincy disputes in the country.
According to him, getting lands to embark on developmental projects always become a problem in communities where chieftaincy disputes exist.
The government, he said, has plans of distributing the national cake equally among communities but it is unable to do so due to chieftaincy disputes in some areas.
Still condemning chieftaincy disputes, the DCE said henceforth his assembly will only invest in towns where there are no chieftaincy disputes.
“From experience, acquiring lands for projects and getting unified support from local authorities to execute them become a challenge in places where there are litigations”.
Delivering an address during the Second Speech and Prize Giving Day of Abesewa DA Basic School, he said “The District Assembly doesn’t own lands for developmental projects but rather chiefs, so if they litigate it affects development”.
Owusu Ansah, who is a native of Abesewa near Bechem on the Kumasi-Sunyani highway, is aware of a chieftaincy dispute in the town, which has retarded the growth of Abesewa for the past six years.
He said “The chieftaincy dispute in Abesewa has lasted for six years and I believe it’s the reason for lack of development in this town”, urging the feuding parties to smoke peace pipe.
By Thomas Awuah
