Sunyani (BAR), June 26, GNA - Mr Alexander Asum-Ahensa, Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture on Thursday called for accountability in the Chieftaincy institution.

Mr Asum-Ahensa who is also Member of Parliament for Jaman North said the Auditor-General's report on national and regional houses of chiefs and traditional councils from 2001-2004 had revealed many discrepancies in the finances of the institution. He made the call when addressing the first general meeting of Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs for this year at Sunyani. Mr Asum-Ahensa said these were due to lack of qualified accounting personnel, malfeasance and financial improprieties from breaching existing regulations.

He therefore urged leadership of the institution to effectively establish monitoring mechanisms to ensure accountability and all government financial transactions governed by specific rules and regulations.

Mr Asum-Ahensa said traditional authorities were expected to provide leadership in community mobilisation for development, ensure law and order and commended the Brong Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs for adopting the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism to resolve some of the chieftaincy disputes in the Region.

He gave the assurance that the Ministry would endeavour to allocate adequate funds to ensure counsels were provided to the institution to facilitate functions of their judicial committees. Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister said about 19,533 cumulative cases of the HIV/AIDS pandemic were reported in the Region between 1986 and 2008. Out of the figure 2,239 new cases of infections were detected between January and December 2008.

He commended the chiefs for their proposals to the Ghana AIDS Commission for a GHC10,000 grant to build capacities for advocacy against negative socio-cultural practices in their communities that promoted the spread of the disease. Mr Nyamekye-Marfo urged the chiefs to initiate programmes and projects in their traditional areas to educate the people about the pandemic, its causes, modes of transmission and preventive measures to curb its spread.

Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, Member of Parliment for Sunyani West and immediate past Brong Ahafo Regional Minister who was honoured by the chiefs for his invaluable services to the Region pledged to co-operate with Mr Nyamekye-Marfo to uplift the image of the Region Osahene Kwaku Aterkyi II, Paramount Chief of Kukuom and President of the House said the ADR mechanism was facilitating the expeditious settlement of chieftaincy disputes before its judicial committees. 26 June 09