Chieftaincy refers to the condition or state of holding a high office, rank, or position in a clan, tribe, community, or society and it is a recognized system of government in which communities or societies are ruled or governed by traditional rulers or chiefs.
A Chieftaincy Institution is a traditional system of government headed by a traditional ruler, who is appointed and installed by the kingmakers and the ruler, assisted by a council of elders.
A chief or a king is a male traditional ruler of an ethnic group in a country, who comes from a royal family and who has been nominated, enstooled, or enskinned according to the tradition and customary laws of the society. A king usually has an independent state.
Significance Of Chieftaincy
- Peaceful transfer of power: Chieftaincy promotes peaceful transfer of power. There are laid down procedures, which are followed to elect a new chief. This prevents the struggle for power from bringing anarchy, disunity, unstable government, and the like.
- Unity/social cohesion: Chieftaincy brings the people together. During the enstoolment/enskinment or destoolment/deskinment, the people come together to celebrate or – to perform the rites. The people also see themselves as one people under one umbrella and work together to forge peace and unity among member clans, families, and communities.
- Preservation of culture: There are some cultural elements embodied in chieftaincy. The mode of selecting a chief, enstoolment/enskinment, destoolment/deskinment, dressing, sitting in state at durbar grounds with an umbrella to provide shade, etc., portrays the culture of the people which are transmitted and preserved.
- Stability and development in a society: Chieftaincy promotes peace, stability, and development in a society. Where there is no struggle for power and have smooth transfer of power there is stability and development. There is a continuous growth process of development projects initiated. The projects initiated are completed.
- Social control mechanism: Chieftaincy can also be seen as a social control mechanism. People see chiefs as having power, authority, and control over the people. People therefore respect the office of the chief thereby preventing deviant behaviours that’ will lead them into trouble and be summoned to the chief’s palace to be sanctioned or fined an amount to pay.
Negative Effects Of Chieftaincy
- Chieftaincy brings disunity especially where there is a power struggle. People fight over who should be the chief especially when the throne is between two or more families or clans. This brings hatred, chaos, confusion, and disunity among the various groups concerned.
- Retards development: In a situation where there is a power struggle there is confusion and disunity. These bring about misunderstandings among the people. Also, resources that would be used for development purposes are channeled for litigation. This retards progress and development in a community or society.
Functions/Roles Of Chiefs Or Traditional Rulers In Ghana Or Roles Chiefs Play In Uniting Their Subjects Or The Nation
Some of the functions of traditional chiefs or rulers in uniting their subjects, society, and the nation are as follows:
- Preservation/transmission of culture and societal values and norms: Traditional rulers help to transmit and promote the cultural heritage of their society. They make sure that all traditional rites, customs, and ceremonies are duly performed. They also involve themselves in performing some of the customs by celebrating festivals, where there is pouring of libation, drumming, and dancing, the chief sitting in state, dancing in the palanquin, etc. Such celebrations and performances of customary rites and customs help to bring the people together and also transmit and preserve the cultural heritage of the people. Traditional rulers also, lead exemplary lives as custodians of societal values and norms.
- Making of laws: Apart from the constitutional laws in Ghana, chiefs make bylaws in consultation with the council of elders in their communities to guide the behaviors and activities in their societies. The laws are in the form of conventions, customs, and taboos. The laws come with their sanctions or punishment which make people obey them due to the consciousness and seriousness attached to them when flouted. This helps to prevent people from misbehaving or being involved in negative acts that affect peace and unity in the community or society. The laws control the people in the community and ensure justice, orderliness, and societal peace for national unity and integration.
- Linking. the society with the Ancestors: Chiefs are seen as spiritual leaders in the various communities. They act as a link between the living and the dead. Through the celebration of festivals, ceremonies, pouring of libation, sacrifices, and consultations, the chiefs communicate with the ancestral spirits. They therefore serve as a link between the living and the dead and ask for protection and peace for the community and the nation.
- Settling disputes/acting as arbitrators: Chiefs are seen as having knowledge and a good sense of judgment. They therefore act as magistrates in their communities. They play a major role in the settlement of disputes among the people in their communities. They settle disputes between families, ethnic groups, land disputes, power struggles, or chieftaincy issues and reconcile the people to live in peace, unity, and harmony to ensure national integration.
- Promoting development in their communities: Chiefs are seen as custodians of the and the whole community entrusted in their hands, Chicfs, therefore, see to the development of their areas. They help to plan developmental projects, organize, supervise, contribute their resources either in cash or in kind, and release stool land for development projects to be carried out. Such developmental projects include school buildings, hospitals, marketplaces, latrines, etc. In some areas, there are traditional places of attraction. They are developed to attract tourists to earn income for the community.
- Administration of their communities: Most of the localities found in the country are ruled by the traditional rulers hence, they are said to be in charge of their communities. Chiefs manage the day-to-day affairs of their societies. They control, guide, and steer the affairs of their communities together with their council of elders. They put their resources together and organized their people to guard and defend the stool lands and property in their custody. Chiefs pursue the interests of their subjects and explain important policies they have put in place for the development of their areas and also the policies of the government to their people. Chiefs therefore serve as administrators in their societies to bring peace and stability.
- Serving on public boards: Traditional rulers serve on statutory boards by acting with honesty and integrity to preserve the sanctity of the institution. Prominent and educated traditional chiefs are appointed to serve on public boards at the national level. They become members or chairmen of public boards or institutions. Some become members of the Council of State and advise the president on some major issues affecting the state or intervene in times of national crisis. Also, agents of the central government are advised on matters affecting chieftaincy institutions and customary law. They also attend meetings organized by the House of Chiefs and make useful contributions to promote national unity. These help to bring peace to the nation.
- Serving as members of the committee of inquiry in cases relating to chieftaincy: Renowned traditional chiefs who are well-versed in chieftaincy matters are called upon to be members of the committee of inquiry in chieftaincy disputes. Matters such as chieftaincy disputes between two royal families especially, on who should be on the thrown after a chief is dead or destooled, or land disputes between two ethnic groups. They help to establish facts and bring the various parties together to promote peace in the society or nation. An example is the committee of eminent chiefs who helped to solve the chieftaincy problem in Dagbon in 2019, since the carnage in Yendi in 2002. They are Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Yagbonwura, Tuntumba Boresa Sulemana Jakpa I and Nayiri, Naa Bohogu Abdulai Mahami Sheriga.
- Ensuring the symbol of ethnic unity: Chiefs or traditional rulers bring all segments of the Society under their jurisdiction together. They ensure living above reproach and prevent or eschew all forms of partiality, corruption, nepotism, greed, and political partisanship. They serve as good role models and fathers for all individuals and various ethnic groups. This ensures unity, social cohesion, peace, and national integration
- Presiding over traditional festivals: Traditional rulers organize and preside over traditional festivals and encourage their subjects to participate in them to ensure social | cohesion. During festivals, people come together no matter their social status, whether rich or poor. People from different ethnic groups, religious backgrounds, towns, villages, and Cities come together as one people to celebrate and this brings about good relationships, peace, harmony, and stability for societal and national development.
- Promoting democratic governance: Traditional rulers ensure good democratic governance in their societies. They involve the council of elders, their subjects, and other groups or members of the society to take part in the decision-making process. This is done by organizing an open forum to solicit ideas and views from the people. At times there are group representatives such as religious leaders, ethnic group leaders, family heads, etc. People are allowed to express their views and their views are considered before a final decision is taken on important issues that affect society. This makes the people feel they are part of the community thereby ensuring peace, unity, stability, and societal and national integration.
- Sensitizing subjects on the need for unity and national integration: Traditional rulers educate their people on the importance of unity and national integration. There are different ethnic groups living together in the various communities in Ghana and they all must see themselves as one people with a common destiny. Division and conflicts do not promote development. In a society where there is peace, unity, and integration, development goes on smoothly. People see themselves as one people and go about their daily activities without fear. People enjoy their freedom and human rights. That society also attracts investors to do business. This helps to speed up development in that society. It is therefore important that we all aim at ensuring unity and national integration.
- Helping to implement government policies through the district assemblies: Chiefs in the various communities ensure that they support the implementation of government policies. They represent the people.m local government and therefore support government policies being implemented through the district assemblies in their community. Such policies are National Health Insurance Scheme{NHIS), which the chief can encourage people to enroll in the scheme and also, provide land for putting up school buildings to implement Free Senior High School policy. They also help to provide social amenities such as market centers, good
roads, electrification projects, etc. that the government intends to provide for the people in the area.