Gomoa Central MP, Rachel Appoh Calls For More Funds For Chieftaincy Ministry

Hon. Rachel Nana Adwoa Appoh, Member of Parliament (MP) for Gomoa Central and a member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture, has stated her support for the approval of the Ministry of Chieftaincy affairs budget for the year, but has appealed for more. �Mr. Speaker, Considering the programmes and activities, I am of the view that the budgetary allocation to the Ministry is inadequate and therefore urge the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to consider providing additional resources to the Ministry should there be a supplementary budget,� Hon. Rachel Nana Adwoa Appoh appealed. According to her the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration for the past four years has performed creditably well and in her view need to be commended. Speaking on the floor of parliament, she said a project was embarked upon to research and codify the lines of succession applicable to Stools or Skins in thirty traditional areas and the research, ascertainment and codification of customary laws in twenty traditional areas, in accordance with article 272 of the 1992 Constitution. �At the moment, phase one of ascertainment of Customary Law project relating to family is completed,� she said. Hon. Appoh explained that the Judicial Committees of the National and Regional Houses of Chiefs have through mediation, reconciliation and alternative dispute resolution, been able to settle one hundred and fifty cases out of six hundred and fifty received in 2012. The Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs could not do as it envisioned in the year under review because of the fact that GH₵11,573,661.81 was released out of GH₵13,875,636.00 approved by Parliament. �Notwithstanding the short fall with funds, the Ministry managed to discharge its duties in a remarkable manner,� she maintained. She however expounded that the Ministry intends to continue the second and third phases of the research and codification of lines of succession applicable to the Stools and skins, because very few disputes arise where lines of succession are codified. �The Ministry hopes to codify thirty traditional areas this year�. She told the Speaker of Parliament that; �..the ministry also intends to continue with its disputes resolution programmes to foster peace and for effective and efficient delivery of services and to do so, there is the need for staff of the Ministry to be adequately trained�. Hon. Rachel Nana Adwoa Appoh ended her submission by urging the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to ensure that the funds allocated to the Ministry of Chieftaincy are released to enable it implement its planned programmes.