Accra, Aug. 15, GNA - A new award scheme to honour chiefs and queen mothers for their involvement in development programmes within their communities, was on Tuesday launched in Accra under the name, "The National Royalty Awards Project 2007".

The award being organised by Bende-Royal Foundation International (BFI), an NGO is divided into five categories namely, Peace and Reconciliation oriented Chief or Queen, Science, Information and Technology oriented Chief or Queen.

The others are Rural Development oriented Chief or Queen, Environmental Protection and Conservation oriented Chief or Queen and most Public Spirited and Philanthropic Chief or Queen. There would also be an ultimate award for the best traditional ruler 2007.

Under the project invitation for nomination for all eligible award recipients would be solicited from the public through advertisement in the national dailies, radio and television. Nominees would then be vetted and presented to the public for them to vote for the best in each category.

The award project under the theme, "Promoting the Chieftaincy Institution and Our Culture for Accelerated National Development" would ensure that the winner in each category was awarded with cash and other prizes, citation and a plague.

Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, Minister of State Chieftaincy and Culture said the award project was aimed at exposing chiefs and other traditional office holders to the challenges of mobilizing people for development, as well as encouraging their people to eschew inimical practices in their areas of jurisdiction.

He said it also sought to identify and reward chiefs and other traditional office holders who exhibited far-sightedness in attracting development projects to their areas of jurisdiction.

"My Ministry is therefore happy to partner BFI in rewarding those chiefs who will pass the test. A nation which did not reward its heroes and heroines was not worth dying for," he said.

He expressed the hope that appropriate strategies would be instituted to ensure transparency in the selection for the award. Mr Boafo urged the organisers to ensure that the criteria used for the selection was fair and the award desirable and motivating to satisfy the winners and motivate the youth to be patriotic and grow to become achievers.

He cautioned them against limiting the exercise to Accra and Kumasi saying, "it should be extended to all traditional areas to enable more eligible chiefs and queen mothers participate because the project would assist chiefs to be involved in governance".

Mr Bernard Appiah Okyere, BFI President, said the role of chiefs as leaders within communities was being relegated to the background, hence the need for some motivations to help them get back on course.

"Usurpation of the traditional functions of chiefs in the communities as agents of development has greatly affected the relevance of projects to the expressed needs of several rural communities, commitment and loyalty to programmes and projects initiated at the grassroots level," he added.

Professor George Payin Hagan, Chairman, National Commission on Culture said chieftaincy was the central institution within which Ghana's culture revolved and for the nation to progress, it was time chiefs were recognised for their roles in nation building. Nii Tetteh Kpobi Tsuru III, La Mantse, who represented the chieftaincy institution, said the institution was a noble one which deserved due recognition. 14 Aug.07