The Western North Regional Peace Council has engaged the Anhwiaso Traditional Council in a consultative dialogue to address rising chieftaincy conflicts, illegal mining and illegal logging in the area.
The engagement, held at Sefwi-Anhwiaso, was on the theme, “The Critical Role of Nananom as Custodians of Peace, Land and Harmony in our Communities.”
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency after the dialogue, Most Reverend Samuel Nkuah-Boateng, Chairman of the Western North Regional Peace Council, said the mandate of the Council was to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts and to seek sustainable and durable peace.
He noted that achieving peace was a shared responsibility, with traditional authorities playing a crucial role.
“Traditional authorities are the pivot around which peace revolves. We discussed issues such as illegal mining, illegal logging, and how conflicts brought before traditional authorities are resolved to ensure lasting peace,” he said.
Most Rev. Nkuah-Boateng added that members of the Council would assist in resolving some of the issues raised by the chiefs that fell within its mandate, while referring others to the appropriate institutions to ensure sustainable development.
He called for stronger collaboration among all stakeholders to sustain peace in the Region.
For his part, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, Paramount Chief of Anhwiaso Traditional Area and President of the National House of Chiefs, expressed concern over the increasing rate of drug abuse among the youth.
He called on the government to institute strict measures to regulate the sale of such substances.
The President of the National House of Chiefs advocated the creation of sustainable jobs for the youth, stressing that “the devil finds work for idle hands.”
Some of the chiefs present also appealed to the government to grant more powers to traditional authorities and to intensify public education on the effects of drug abuse to deter the youth.
GNA
