The House of Chiefs asks traditional leaders to contribute to national security

General News of Saturday, June 15, 2019

Source: Graphic.com.gh

2019-06-15

The National House of Chiefs (NHC) has called on all traditional leaders to help national security agencies to ensure peace and security in the country, following recent kidnappings and ethnic conflict in Chereponi, Northern Region -Is.

Ensuring national security, and at all other levels, should not be the responsibility of the government, but rather the joint efforts of stakeholders and all citizens, stressing that traditional and religious leaders are indispensable to the security of the country.

NHC President Togbe Afede XIV made the appeal at the general meeting of the Chamber held last Thursday in Tamale, the first time this meeting took place outside of Kumasi in the history of the institution.

The NHC also took the opportunity to pay tribute to the overlord of the Dagbon Kingdom, Yaa Naa Abukari Mahama II, for his role in securing peace in the region since he became the suzerain.

He was officially admitted to the National House of Chiefs.

Peace

Togbe Afede said the recent kidnappings in the country were alarming and called on members of the National House of Chiefs to help the government stem the phenomenon in their different communities.

The Speaker of the House of Chiefs of the Northern Region, Yagbongwura Tutumba Boresa I, said that the House of National Leaders owed the country an awareness of peace and unity and that it was necessary to promote and expand the borders of peaceful coexistence. regardless of cultural and religious differences.

"Based on Dagbon's successes, I would like to ask the people of Bole, in my own backyard, in the Savannah area, and Chereponi, in the North-East region of Ghana, to immediately say no to the violence and destruction and great luck, he says.

"The development of Ghana is not the sole responsibility of the central government but rather a partnership between the traditional authorities and the government. In developing countries, the chiefs and the government are bed-mates, so we need to work together to champion the cause of development, "Yagbongwura asked.

National security

Siding the need for security at all levels, the Minister of National Security, Mr. Albert Kan-Dapaah, warned all members of the public to ensure the safety and vigilance of those around them .

"In recent times, we are all aware of information on terrorist threats in the sub-region, with reported attacks in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

"There are reports of infiltration of some of these extremists into our territory and influx of refugees from northern Burkina Faso into the eastern Sissala district," Kan-Dapaah said.

Following the emerging trend in the subregion, he said that the Ministry of National Security, in collaboration with other security agencies, had embarked on an outreach program to provide security to the public.

Peace in Dagbon

Speaking on the theme: "Peacebuilding in Dagbon for National Development", the Minister of Chiefdoms and Religious Affairs, Mr. Kofi Dzamesi, said that the leaders of the Dagbon Kingdom had proved that they could use the resources appropriately for national development.

"As history shows, the Dagbon Kingdom has had contact with other traditional authorities and, as a result, has contributed significantly to the enrichment of other cultures and values. In fact, in a way, the social, economic and political fabric of our country has been structured essentially by the significant contribution of the Dagbon Kingdom, "said Dzamesi.

recommendations

As a result of the chieftaincy problems that the Dagbon Kingdom has faced for about 16 years, Mr. Dzamesi pointed out that, to avoid recurrence of crises in the future, the traditional authorities in Dagbon had to strive consciously and sustainably to respect customs that have allowed the predominance of the chieftaincy institution.

He added that internal mechanisms of traditional management must be respected and strengthened, while responding to changes and transitions.

Dagbon Overlord

Yaa Naa Abukari, for one, thanked the House of Chiefs for the honor that was rendered to her by organizing her general badembly in Tamale, one of the cities of the traditional Dagbon region.

This singular act, he said, would go a long way towards consolidating the return of peace to Dagbon.

Yaa Naa Abukari is committed to working with everyone to accelerate the development of the region to allow Dagbon to regain his past glory.