News:
August 14, 2013
Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, Member of Parliament for Odododiodoo in Accra has called on chiefs to end the indiscriminate selling of lands within their jurisdictions.
“This attitude is making a mockery and destroying our efforts and is about time we end it,” he said.
Nii Vanderpuye made the appeal at North Kaneshie, a suburb of Accra, at the handing-over of the refurbished Ga Mantse Palace last Thursday.
The cost of the refurbishment was estimated at GHȼ283,000.
Nii Dodoo Nsaki II, Otublohu Mantse and the Acting President of the Ga Traditional Council and Mr Vanderpuye jointly cut the tape to open the renovated palace.
Nii Vanderpuye said the Gas deserve more than what had been done for them; “nevertheless, with what I have seen today, I see hope being restored, I see light coming to Accra and our vision and dreams are being fulfilled,” he said.
He urged the chiefs and their subjects to settle their differences, saying the frequent societal disturbance amongst them had been a source of worry and was not helping in the development of Accra.
“Let us give respect to our chiefs, elders and their stools and let unity prevail amongst us for the progress of the area,” he said, adding that “we should use this year’s Homowo to wake up from our slumber to forge ahead in unity.”
Mr Henry Seidu Danaa, Minister for Chieftaincy Affairs, expressed joy at the renovation of the palace, saying for chieftaincy to move ahead in the country, the Ga Mantse Palace being the oldest in the capital city, could not be left out.
He urged the chiefs to use the facility to work assiduously in settling all chieftaincy disputes among them so that the newly installed chiefs would be gazetted for development to thrive in the area.
Mr Danaa also urged other assemblies to emulate the example of the AMA and collaborate with the Ministry to settle all chieftaincy matters.
Mr Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, the Mayor of Accra, who handed over the refurbished palace, appealed to the chiefs to unite and support the government to realize its vision of making Accra the millennium capital city.
He said the AMA would continue to help them in developing the city and that the Osu, Ngleshie and other palaces in Accra would also receive their share of support for refurbishment and renovation saying “this is not the first and the last”.
GNA