Cape Coast, June 30, GNA- A Member of the Council of State, Odeneho Gyapong Ababio II, on Friday said it was the constitutional obligation of chiefs to ensure the elimination of outmoded customs and traditional practices that are inimical to development.

He said practices whereby landlords take as much as 50 percent of the proceeds from tenant farmers and dehumanising widowhood rites, amounted to human rights abuses.

Odeneho Ababio, who is also the President of the National House of Chiefs, made the call when he launched the programme for the celebration of this year's 'Fetu Afahye' of the chiefs and people of Cape Coast at Cape Coast.

'Fetu Afahye', is celebrated every first Saturday of September and is preceded by a month-long ban on drumming, after which a week-long programme, including a regatta and a purification ceremony are held. He also expressed concern about the numerous chieftaincy disputes in the country and urged chiefs to ensure that they were settled to enable them strive forward in unity to accelerate the development of their areas and the country at large.

"We should not wash our dirty linen in public but strive to sustain the age-old glory and dignity of the chieftaincy institution" he declared, adding that all Ghanaians including the chiefs should recognize and respect the importance of the chieftaincy institution. Odeneho Ababio, charged them to ensure that their activities were geared towards improving the well-being of their people, and echoed the advice to them not to engage in partisan politics.

He said the National House of Chiefs would soon change the titles of queen mothers to queens, and paramount chiefs would be referred to as kings to befit their status, and noted that the colonialists erred in giving them the current titles.

Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, Paramount Chief of Oguaa Traditional area appealed to the people to endeavour to keep the environment clean to help boost tourism in the area. He expressed regret for the people's lack of support for projects being undertaking by the council and said as a result, the renovation of the palace could not be completed in time for the celebration of this year's festival.

For his part, Nana Ato Arthur, central regional minister expressed concern that there were 40 chieftaincy disputes raging in the 33 paramount seats in the region. He suggested that a five-member committee made up of eminent citizens be constituted to investigate and solve the disputes, to foster unity to facilitate the socio-economic development of the region. June 30, 06