Accra, Aug. 18, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor has given the assurance that the Government will never, for any short-time benefit, tamper with the chieftaincy institution.

He said they were aware of the worth of the institution and would therefore, co-operate with the chiefs for the smooth administration of the country.

The creation of the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture was therefore to provide a vital official link to serve that purpose, President Kufuor said, when he granted audience to members of the Standing Committee of the National House of Chiefs (NHC) at the Castle, Osu, on Friday.

The Committee, led by the President of the House, Odeneho Gyapong Ababio II, included representatives of all the Regional Houses of Chiefs with the exception of Greater Accra, who could not be present because of the Homowo Festival.

The Chiefs had sought audience with the President to discuss some important national issues.

President Kufuor said the creation of the Ministry should send clear message to all that the Government appreciated the importance of chiefs in its scheme of affairs.

He called on the Chiefs to show some forbearance in their relationship with the new Ministry, saying, the relationship should be one of due mutual respect in order to maintain the necessary balance. He noted that chieftaincy represented the lineage and ancestry of the people in the country and for that matter it ought to be preserved to give the nation a foundation to stand on as it moved into globalisation.

President Kufuor spoke of the socio-economic development setbacks people suffer wherever there was a chieftaincy dispute and encouraged the NHC to show the way in tackling the problem.

He also drew attention to the need for the institution to keep refining itself so as to continue to remain relevant.

Odeneho Gyapong said the Chiefs were grateful to President Kufuor for his concern and recognition of the institution.

He also praised the President for his efforts at ensuring that the necessary measures were put in place to propel the socio-economic advancement of the people.

"We are more than delighted that as a result of the good governance that our country is enjoying under your Administration and which, also has caught the attention of the international community, Ghana has secured as much as 547 million dollars under the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) to enable the country as a whole move forward, economically and socially."

He said the NHC was as much worried and gravely concerned about the spate of chieftaincy disputes that were hindering the peace, progress and stability of the country.

"In this regard we are seriously taking the necessary steps to put our houses in order to ensure that these disputes are reduced to the barest minimum if not completely eliminated."

Odeneho Gyapong said, although as chiefs they were debarred by the Constitution from taking part in active politics, they would not stand by when issues that affect the well-being of the people came up for discussion.

"We are prepared to make available to you and our Government, indeed any body or organization, our advice which flows from the collective wisdom of Nananom."