Chieftincy in Ghana
TITLE:Chieftaincy in Ghana: Culture, Governance and Development
ABSTRACT
Chieftaincy is one of the most enduring traditional institutions of Ghana and has displayed remarkable resilience from pre-colonial through colonial and post colonial times. Chiefs combined executive, legislative, judicial, military, economic and religious roles. In contemporary times, chieftaincy has come under strain: chiefs have to deal with succession to high office; transparent management of local resources for development and pre-occupation with the quality of life of the people over whom they exercise customary jurisdiction. This has to be achieved in an increasingly globalised world characterised by emphasis on democratic governance, human rights, health delivery, employment, human development, regional integration and related challenges. How successfully the modern Ghanaian chief deals with these issues will be the true measure of the continuing relevance of the institution to Ghana’s long term development. The voice that resonate in this publication tell the story of chieftaincy, past, present and future from the multidisciplinary perspectives of political science, religion , history, arts, gender, social anthropology, economics and development studies. The voices range from leaders to ordinary men and women in the society. The critical question evaluated in this publication is how chieftaincy can inform the nation’s current quest for good governance and development in a meaningful way.