Mr Alex Asum-Ahensah, Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture has stressed the need for a clear-cut policy to determine the nature of the relationship that should exist between state institutions and traditional authorities, especially at the local government level.
He said the complaint of neglect of the traditional authorities by metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, especially in the appointment of 30 per cent representation and some nominations of district chief executives, posed a serious challenge to the successful implementation of the local government system.
Mr Asum-Ahensah said there was therefore the need to formulate strategies to address the future of the chieftaincy institution in the context of their role in governance.
In his maiden address to the National House of Chiefs in Kumasi on Wednesday, Mr Asum-Ahensah pointed out that traditional authorities played unique leadership roles at the local level thus the need to ensure their active participation in modern local governance.
The Minister said the government would continue to extend the needed support to the chieftaincy institution to make it a viable partner to government.
He said efforts were being made to fill the numerous vacant positions within traditional councils and the regional houses of chiefs with qualified personnel to ensure their smooth operations.
Mr Asum-Ahensah said the ministry would soon inaugurate a strategic plan to establish the linkages between it and other ministries, departments and agencies as well as its stakeholders.
He called on chiefs to develop effective strategies that would complement the government's efforts at implementing sound policies and programmes to propel the country into a middle income status by 2015.
Wulugu Naba Pugansua Naa Professor John S. Nabila, President of the National House of Chiefs commended the government for appointing a number of chiefs to the Council of State and statutory bodies in the country.
He said the present crop of chiefs characterised by many professionals, technocrats and specialists among others, marked a watershed in the development of the institution of chieftaincy in Ghana.
Wulugu Naba Pugansua said such qualities indicated that chiefs had a role to play in modern governance beyond the traditional role assigned to them in the constitution and by customary practice.
He expressed concern about inadequate budgetary allocation which had affected the implementation of most projects and programmes of the House and appealed to the government to consider releasing enough funds to enable it to discharge its constitutional mandates effectively.