Peace Council trains traditional leaders on dispute resolution

The Eastern Regional Peace Council has initiated a capacity-building programme for traditional leaders and local government officials in the Akuapem Adonten Division, aiming to fortify traditional and local governance frameworks and foster enduring peace. The event, held in Aburi, gathered around 200 participants to focus on enhancing customary law comprehension, statutory provisions for conflict resolution, and the principles of natural justice in traditional adjudication.

Dr. Mark Boadu, Chairman of the Eastern Regional Peace Council, outlined the programme's impetus, citing the Council's 2025 Regional Peace Index, which underscored chieftaincy disputes and land disputes as primary sources of conflict in the region. With 61% of the region's conflicts linked to chieftaincy, the Council resolved to empower traditional leaders with the requisite knowledge and skills to adjudicate cases fairly and transparently, thereby diminishing the number of disputes that escalate to formal courts.

Dr. Boadu emphasized that resolving issues within the palace setting, where the process appears fair and just, would mitigate the need for rushed appeals to local courts. He highlighted the programme's objective to bolster transparency and accountability within traditional institutions, thereby enhancing public confidence in their decisions.

Resource person, Lawyer Alex Nartey, stressed the pivotal role chiefs play in Ghana's governance and adjudication systems. He stressed the importance of traditional leaders understanding legal principles that govern their adjudicatory functions to ensure their decisions are respected and maintained. Lawyer Nartey urged chiefs to adhere to principles of natural justice, including fair hearing and impartiality, and cautioned against conflicts of interest during adjudication.

He underscored that a proper application of these principles would enhance access to justice in traditional councils and palaces, encouraging disputing parties to utilize traditional dispute-resolution mechanisms.

The Council also launched a self-assessment and governance assessment exercise, enabling participants to pinpoint governance gaps and devise action plans for improving governance within their respective communities. The Municipal Chief Executive of the Akuapem South Municipality, Mr. Paul Osae Offer, noted that the Akuapem Adonten Division faced numerous land disputes, many involving properties under traditional authority.

He deemed the training essential for equipping traditional leaders with the necessary skills to adjudicate such cases fairly.

The capacity-building programme, now in its second iteration, follows a previous session held in Akwamufie.