The paramount Chief of the Abuakwa Traditional Area, Okyehene Amoatia Ofori Panyin, has blamed Ghana’s slow pace of development on the centralized governance style of the country indicating that the system which was run under Ghana’s first president, Dr. Nkrumah cannot be used in modern days.

“We [Ghana] set off with just about 4.5 million people and Nkrumah came along and said Chiefs were not fit enough to run the nation… Nkrumah wanted centrality of government and at the time, that was right.

“The 4.5 million people and the system we had cannot hold 27 million people so leaders who came after Nkrumah should have had the audacity of change to change the system.

“We are still centralized and that is why we are where we are because we cannot manage our economy effectively. You cannot stay in Accra and manage schools in Tamale. That’s what we do and it’s just not feasible.” Suggested solutions to our ‘centralised’ system: Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panyin in proffering solutions to Ghana’s over centralized system of governance said “we can start off by having schools left in the hands of the people who live in their communities, [same for] healthcare and community water service.

“If we do that and have people control their own sanitation, we’ll not have the sanitation problem we have in Ghana now…” He went on further to say that “because centralization does not give us a chance to investigate and thoroughly have accountability, our money is not spent properly.”

The renowned chief was speaking on TV3’s Hot Issues where he advocated that government should move some of the key ministries in Accra to the various regions and by so doing, the various regions would have adequate development and an effective decentralization. Role of Chiefs: Touching on what role chiefs can play in the decentralization and development of the chief, He opined that Ghanaian constitution clearly recognizes chiefs and must allowed to play their roles as such.

He said chiefs are not being allowed to contribute their quota to the development of the country following the centrality of our current governance system.

‘The current stability and sanity in the country is attributable to the chieftaincy system which still exists so political governments should giver chiefs their due so that they can work effectively in their various capacities’ he explained.