The Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs in Ghana, Mr. Stephen Asamoah Boateng, has urged religious leaders and traditional rulers to maintain a strong presence in national affairs.
He, thus, commended The Church of Pentecost and its leadership for their keen interest in national development and emphasised the importance of reminding politicians and citizens of their solemn pledge to keep the nation united and morally upright.
“Our existence here on earth is to do the will of God. He expects us to deliver and lead His people to Him. Help us not to lose sight of this,” he pleaded.
Hon. Asamoah Boateng made these remarks during the opening session of the Royals Conference organised by The Church of Pentecost at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC) in Gomoa Fetteh near Kasoa.
The event which has about 1500 traditional rulers in attendance, includimg over 100 paramount chiefs, is under the theme “Moral Vision and National Development: The Role Of Traditional Rulers.”
Addressing the gathering at the event, Hon. Asamoah Boateng praised The Church of Pentecost for its innovative approach of gathering royals to discuss moral vision and national development, as well as for establishing the Chieftaincy Ministry within the church. He recognised traditional leaders as having a unique ability to unite people for development and to awaken the moral conscience of the nation.
“Nananom, it is possible to make a difference wherever you find yourselves. You have a role, a labor, and a charge to keep. Where your predecessors walked, you must tread and make it better. Lead with uprightness and require it of us all,” he stated.
The Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Minister also stressed that the role of politicians is similar to that of royals and priests. He noted that their primary responsibility is to identify societal challenges and offer solutions.
Mr. Asamoah Boateng further stated that because royals and clergy possess spiritual authority, they are well-positioned to ensure that corruption is not tolerated in their presence.
“Commit to the laws of the land. The world is run on discipline and not feelings. Be sensitive to the people you preside over and respect the customs and traditions. Serve as the people’s royals, not as taskmasters,” he recommended.
Mr. Asamoah Boateng reiterated the need for royals to embrace diversity within their jurisdictions and resist viewing others as outsiders.
“Let us embrace our diversity and the discipline our ancestors bequeathed to us. The morality of our society today is a sad story. Social media has overtaken us, and we have forgotten ourselves. We must bring our discipline back,” he stated.
He revealed that his ministry has focused significant attention on ensuring adherence to customary law, discipline, and dispute resolution. He lamented that chieftaincy disputes consume over 70% of the ministry’s budget, noting that traditional leaders should not be seen as perverting decency and justice.
The minister also discussed regional stakeholder engagements held across the nation to propose a national policy on religion aimed at ensuring cooperation and coordination in serving God. He said the outcomes of these engagements revealed key issues threatening religious stability and coexistence in Ghana, including religious intolerance, inhumane treatment, political interference, child marriages, noise pollution, and fanaticism.
He also mentioned other issues identified during the engagements, such as money laundering, leadership disputes, lack of succession rules, insufficient institutional structures, and weak regulations. He noted that a proposal for a national policy on religion, to be managed and implemented by religious leaders, has emerged from these engagements.
“An independent body is to be set up to work on self-regulation, self-management, and registration to streamline religious activities in the nation,” he revealed. He appealed to the conference participants to consider these issues in their deliberations and propose solutions.
He stated that the government is considering amending the chieftaincy law to give traditional leaders clear authority to resolve community issues and to restore their authority. Additionally, he mentioned a proposal for a chieftaincy development fund, similar to the common fund, to support chiefs and queens.
Regarding the conduct leading up to the electioneering period, Mr. Asamoah Boateng expressed his trust in traditional leaders and the church to ensure peace in the nation, particularly through their actions and words for peaceful elections and governance thereafter.
“Let us build rather than destroy; our words must mend and not tear each other apart,” he advised.
The Royals Conference follows the National Development Conference (NADEC) organised by The Church of Pentecost in 2023, which brought together key political actors in the country to discuss issues of national importance.
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