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Ghana needs traditional leaders who are development-oriented and can cause a change in their communities.

And apart from political leaders, another crop of leaders who can spearhead development in this country are our traditional leaders.

They live with the people all the time, they get close feedback, they are listened to and very well respected by their community members.

It is for this reason that our traditional leaders must avoid pushing their self interest at the expense of their communities.

Rather, they should be seen to be championing the cause of their people by instituting programmes and activities that go to improve their lives.

This is because the days of depending on government for everything are over, and the earlier our chiefs know that the better for their communities.

The truth be told that more often than not, such developmental initiatives by chiefs serve as bonds between them and the communities which also go to enrich the relationship and respect that they command amongst their people.

It gives cause to worry to see some chiefs only interested in satisfying their whims and caprices to the neglect of the people they serve.

In fact, what has become the norm these days which we condemn is how some chiefs seek their parochial interest and those of their immediate families.

Such selfish tendencies tend to create disenchantment and disunity between them and the people who make them what they are.

It is, therefore, important that our chiefs concentrate on developing their communities by making sure that whatever resources at their disposal are judiciously used for the betterment of their people.

They should avoid engaging in worthless things which do not benefit their people and the nation in any way.

This brings to the fore the issue of indiscriminate sale of lands by some chiefs which can be used for development purposes.

What is even more condemnable is where chiefs allegedly sell farm lands of their people to foreigners to do illegal mining.

Thus we all are witnesses to how some communities have not only lost their farm lands but have also had their water bodies completely destroyed.

The saddest thing is that most of the land litigations which have left many innocent Ghanaians dead were through the instrumentality of some of our chiefs.

For instance, there have been cases where some chiefs have been dragged to court for selling lands meant for development.

And it is even more worrying when they tend to sell a plot of land to multiple persons.

 It is in view of the above that Today is calling on our traditional leaders to stop some of these negative practices and rather focus their energies on how to help better the lives of their people and communities.