Tamale, Aug. 6, GNA- Mr Stephen Sumani Nayina, Northern Regional Minister, has called on the Northern Regional House of Chiefs to resolve all outstanding chieftaincy disputes pending before it within two months. He noted that the judicial committee of the House had over five years failed to resolve some chieftaincy disputes before it, saying: " This is outrageous and smacks of injustice, because justice delayed is justice denied".

Mr Nayina was addressing a sensitisation workshop for chiefs in the region on the chieftaincy Act 2008, Act 759 in Tamale on Tuesday. The Regional Minister regretted that, the Chieftaincy institution, especially in the Northern region, instead of unifying the people, had turned out to divide them and in many cases, giving rise to violent clashes, resulting in the loss of life and property. He hoped the resolution of the disputes would help restore the dignity, respect and above all peace to the region as a guarantee for the speedy development of the area.

He said the workshop would equip the chiefs with new strategies and commitment to deal with disputes and create a congenial atmosphere for life and economic activities to thrive.

Professor John Nabila, President of the National House of Chiefs who spoke on the new chieftaincy Act, 2008, Act 759, said it was a repeal and an improvement of the chieftaincy Act 370. He said a major amendment to Act 370 was the tenure of Office of Presidents and members of the National and Regional House of Chiefs from three to four years to conform to the tenure of the Presidency, Parliament and the Council of State.

Another significant addition Professor Nabila said, was article 30 of the new Act on customary arbitration which states that: " The power of a chief to act as an arbitrator in a customary arbitration in any dispute where the parties consent to the arbitration is guaranteed". The Yabong-Wura Bawa Doshie, president of the Northern regional House of chiefs urged his colleagues to use the opportunity being offered by the workshop to orient themselves of the laws governing the chieftaincy institution in order not to fall foul of the laws. 6 Aug. 09