Chiefs, clergy hold consultative summit in Ho
THE Minister for Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Alex Asum- Mensah, has said chiefs and the clergy should regard themselves as partners in development and should initiate development projects to complement efforts of government in running the state.
He said invaluable contributions of traditional rulers to good governance and the immense role of Christianity to education, which had been acknowledged by the government, could not be underestimated.
Mr. Asum-Mensah said this when he addressed the third chiefs/clergy consultative summit at Ho organized by the Christian agape Ministers network (CAMNET) in collaboration with concerned Christian Churches in the Volta Region.
He announced that a Royal College would be established for chiefs to serve as learning platform for chieftaincy issues and social adaptation reforming social values.
The Deputy Volta regional Minister Colonel Cyril Neeku (retd), said the dichotomy that existed where Christianity sought to demonise tradition and on the other hand, where some regarded Christianity as foreign with followers as social deviants, must be resolved.
He said both faiths should demystify to eradicate obsolete and outmoded religious practices.
Col. Necku said Christian religious leaders should lead exemplary lives and must live above reproach to enable them to serve as role models in the society.
Speaking on the topic: “Chiefs/clergy, God’s ordained institution,” the Chief of Fieve, Togbe Agama Amata IV, said chieftaincy is an institution ordained by God and that chiefs must open the hearts of their subjects to God.
He said without God, nothing could be achieved, adding that the expectations of God from chiefs were development, peace, prosperity, and that they must represent him physically and spiritually.
Togbe Agama said they should know their strengths and weaknesses and provide guidance and protection without which they would lose the confidence of the people.
In a welcome address, the Chairman of CAMNET, Apostle Ernest Adjiwu, said chiefs and the clergy could jointly fight the woes of society.
He appealed for the necessary amendment to be made to embrace all 103 paramount chiefs in the Volta Region to become permanent members of the Regional House of Chiefs.
Apostle Adjiwu said chiefs and the clergy could serve as watchdogs of each other to facilitate steady development of communities.
The theme for the three-day summit was “Chiefs and clergy uniting for development”.
*Source:
Daily Graphic Page: 43 Monday, March 14, 2011 |