President John Agyekum Kufuor has hinted that the spate of chieftaincy disputes in the country may call for the creation of a Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs to handle the situation.

He said that although the Government was not to meddle in chieftaincy matters, its concern was based on the fact that such disputes continued to retard development and progress, resulting in increased poverty among the people.

President Kufuor gave the hint on Wednesday when addressing a durbar of chiefs and people of Asankrangwa in the Amenfi West District, as part of his four-day tour of the Western Region. ?Government will not sit down unconcerned for chieftaincy disputes to continue to disturb the prevailing peace in the country,? he stated.

Noting that the chieftaincy institution had been plagued with a myriad of challenges, the President asked traditional rulers to expend their energies on addressing those challenges.

That, he said, would enable them to help maintain Ghana?s acclaimed status as a peaceful island in the West African sub-region.