GHANAIAN CHIEFTAINCY INSTITUTION
Ghanaian Chieftaincy system is a form of local authority that has been with the people from ancient times. Literature on the institution is rare as the custodians see it as sacred institution and must be guarded and protected from adulteration. According to a Ghanaian professor of political science at Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina, who based his information on Akan tradition and chieftaincy, the basic principles guarding the selection or rejection of a chief and the workings of the institution are basically the same across Ghana (9 May 1994). The professor explained that there may be some differences, but these are "minor" and may relate to the kinds of rituals performed during the enstoolment or destoolment processes (ibid.). According to Area Handbook for Ghana, the Ga idea of a chief was borrowed from the Akan (1971, 99).
The professor stated that in Ghanaian society, the chief is the head of the community, which is also the traditional area of his jurisdiction. A chief is selected for unique qualities that make him an excellent representative of the community (9 May 1994). The chief is the microcosm of what is good about the community and he serves as a link between his community and others. The professor is not aware of anyone being sanctioned for refusing to be a chief, but it is an honor that is rarely declined.
Traditionally, chiefs are ranked. At the summit of the institution is the king, whose title may differ from one ethnic group to another, followed by the paramount chiefs and their subordinate chiefs. The chief makes decisions on behalf of the community, but only after consulting with his council and sometimes with the community as a whole at general meetings. The social and political power of a chief may depend on the ethnic composition and wealth of the community.
Chiefs obtain their position through enstoolment (coronation) and can lose it through destoolment. The enstoolment process begins when the families contending for the position have agreed or decided upon the person to be appointed. The decision becomes final when the Queen Mother approves the selected person as capable of leading and representing the community. The role of the Queen Mother in the process is important as her consent is essential for enstoolment. Once approved, he undergoes secret rituals performed by the Queen Mother, supported by the elders of the community. This information on the role of the Queen Mother is corroborated in Area Handbook for Ghana (1971, 122).
The professor stated that the public aspect of the enstoolment process is activated by the introduction of the chief to the community at a traditional durbar (9 May 1994). The chief pledges his oath of allegiance to the community, to respect and protect it at all times and above all to uphold its traditions. Despite this public acclamation, the enstoolment is not official until approved by the government, through publication in the government Gazette.
Traditionally, only the Queen Mother can demand destoolment. However, with the involvement of governments in the process, some chiefs have been destooled without regard to the traditional authority of the Queen Mother and her council of elders. According to tradition, a chief can be destooled for breaking the oath of allegiance to the community. Like enstoolment, destoolment is not final until approved by the government. Governments have customarily respected the views of the traditional councils in these matters, however there have been occasions when governments have unilaterally destooled chiefs whom they considered to be "uncooperative" and "disruptive."
The professor explained that the post-independence involvement of governments in chieftaincy matters is a carry-over from practices of the colonial period. Chieftaincy has been a very powerful traditional institution in Ghana. Governments have therefore, used the institution to ensure their presence throughout the country, particularly in the rural areas. During the colonial era, this indirect rule through chiefs enabled the government to control the local populations. Post-independence governments continued the process because it was in their interest to be seen to be present across the country.
It has been the practice, particularly for paramount chiefs, to swear allegiance to new governments. This practice guarantees that their traditional areas will be remembered during the handing out of government largesse. The practice has subsequently identified certain paramount chiefs with particular regimes. Incoming governments that did not particularly like those they succeeded, did not find it difficult to withhold recognition from certain chiefs. According to the professor, because of this desire to intervene in the institution of chieftaincy, Ghanaian governments have inadvertently contributed greatly to chieftaincy disputes. This habit has undoubtedly destabilized the system from time to time.
CARTOON OF AKAN CHIEFTAINCY
THE KING OF ASHANTI, THE ASANTEHENE OF GHANA
Within a six-week cycle, Adae has two celebration days, once on a Sunday (Akwasidae) and again on a Wednesday (Awukudae). The Adae cycle is repeated nine times in a year. In observance of the Akan calendar, the ninth Adae Festival, called the Adae Kese Festival ("big Adae"), coincides with celebration of the New Year. It is therefore celebrated to thank the gods and the ancestors for the new harvest. The festivals within Adae are not interchangeable, having been fixed from ancient times.
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