Traditional Rulers Have Been Rendered Powerless in Democratic Era, Says Nana Kwame Donkor IV

Nana Kwame Donkor IV, the Chief of Mahodwe in Agona Swedru and Gyaasehen of the Agona Nyakrom Traditional Area, has expressed concerns about the current state of traditional rulers in Ghana. He believes that the introduction of democracy and its associated human rights have rendered traditional rulers powerless, unlike before.

According to Nana Kwame Donkor, in the past, traditional rulers had the power to summon their subjects, and failure to appear before the chief could lead to punishment. However, in the current democratic era, subjects have the right to refuse to respond to summons by a chief and can challenge the chief to resort to a court action.

The chief lamented that the chieftaincy institution has now become irrelevant because of human rights, and this has led to a rise in miscreants in society. He noted that even during the colonial era, traditional rulers played a significant role in the governance system, including arbitration, where petty offences were referred to the traditional rulers to resolve.

Nana Kwame Donkor IV expressed regret that traditional rulers are now sidelined in this era of democratic governance. He pointed out that the police have told chiefs that they no longer have the power to force people to appear before them, which remains a great worry to traditional rulers.

For the most part, traditional rulers have been relegated to a ceremonial role, and this has caused some frustration among them. The chieftaincy institution is an important part of Ghanaian culture, and traditional rulers play a crucial role in the development of their communities. However, with the erosion of their powers, it remains to be seen how effective they can be in the modern era.

Source: Ghana News Agency