Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Minister Mahama Ayariga has said government is preparing to increase financial support for traditional councils and the Houses of Chiefs.
Ayariga said President John Dramani Mahama had directed him and the Finance Minister to explore ways of increasing funding to strengthen the capacity of traditional institutions.
“The president has directed me and the finance minister to explore ways to increase funding allocation to the national and regional houses of chiefs to enhance their capacity to dispose of chieftaincy disputes expeditiously,” he said.
He said the additional funding would help traditional institutions resolve disputes before they develop into larger security problems.
Ayariga also announced plans to create room within local government funding to support traditional councils.
He said chiefs played an important role in helping local authorities implement development projects because of their influence within communities.
“Even the MMDCE that we have appointed, they can’t do much without consulting the paramount chief, the local chief and getting the chiefs to help them to get public buy-ins into even basic infrastructure such as where to locate a school, where to locate a market, where to locate a clinic,” he said.
Ayariga said traditional councils therefore deserved financial support because local authorities relied on them to mobilise communities and facilitate development.
“It is only fair that when we also get huge amounts of common fund money that a little bit is also given to the traditional councils to facilitate their work of maintaining that social capital which we leverage on to run the cities and the municipalities and the towns and villages,” he said.
He added that the Common Fund formula would also make room for the regional and national Houses of Chiefs.
