President J. A. Kufuor has been explaining the reason for setting up the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Cultural Affairs.

At a meeting with members of the Standing Committee of the National House of Chiefs at the Castle on Friday to thank the President for creating the ministry, he said there is the need for the preservation of the chieftaincy institution since it represents the lineage of the individual members of the society.

He said the chieftaincy institution is so dear to the government that nothing will be done to undermine it.

The importance the government attaches to preserving that institution, prompted the creation of the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Cultural Affairs at the Presidency, he said.

The Ministry will not interfere in the affairs of chiefs but rather cooperate with it to promote the institution. It will also be used to establish a link between the House of Chiefs and the government.

The President expressed worry about the increasing spate of chieftaincy disputes in the country and expressed the hope that the newly created Ministry will help in resolving the disputes.

Responding, the President of the National House of Chiefs, Odeneho Gyapong Ababio, expressed gratitude to the government for its concern about the chieftaincy institution.

He assured government of the full cooperation with the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Cultural Affairs and said they would work together to promote the chieftaincy institution.

Odeneho Ababio said the House has initiated moves to resolve the various chieftaincy disputes in the country.

He said though the national constitution bars chiefs from active involvement in partisan politics, the House will not hesitate to comment on any matter of national interest.

He also thanked the government for making funds available for the construction of the proposed Chief’s College, an institution expected to train chiefs on modern global developments and technologies.