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Reverend Dr Godwin Nii Noi Odonkor, Chairman of Ga Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, has called for partnership between traditional and religious leaders for the development of local communities.

“We want to collaborate with our traditional leaders to explore opportunities for the development of the nation for the benefit of our people as disunity and conflict retards progress and there is the need for the two stakeholders to come together to bring development and peace to the country,” he said.

Rev. Odonkor was speaking at the maiden seminar for traditional leaders in the Ga Traditional Area dubbed: “Ministry to Palace,” organised by the Presbyterian Church of Ghana at Abokobi, near Accra.

The three-day seminar is to create a platform for engagement with traditional leaders, provide an opportunity for the church to enter the traditional domain with the Bible, and serve as a dialoguing avenue with the view of gaining common understanding to better empower them to influence society positively.

Chiefs and queens from Tema, La, Osu, Ga Odumanse, Osu Alata, Kpone, Haatso, Papao, Amamole, Aplaku, Kokrobitey, Sesime, Adabraka, Teshie, Asere Kaneshie, Obom, Otublohum Djan, Glefe, Akweiman, Abiase, and Danfa traditional areas are attending the seminar.

Rev. Dr Odonkor said there were misconceptions about the role of the church and that of traditional leaders and “it is about time we started addressing this and bring the two stakeholders together to build our community”.

Mr John Kwao Sackey, Chief Executive Officer of Ga East Municipal Assembly, congratulated the church for bringing the chiefs and queen mothers to work together to improve the lives of the people in the area.

He urged them to look at some of the cultural values and bring out the good in them to unite the people and enhance development.

Mr Sacket said boundary disputes were minimal in the municipality due to the peace and stability they were enjoying and urged chiefs to continue to highlight the good values that “we have as a country to impart positively on the people."

“I also want to appeal to you to be ambassadors of good sanitation to achieve the desired development that we are all looking for,” he said.

Nii Adjei Kraku II, Tema Manste, commended the chief for creating a platform for dialogue and urged other religious persuasions to work with traditional leaders within the domain they operated from.

He said the church and traditional leaders must work together.