The Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Stephen Asamoah Boateng says his key priority is to ensure Chieftaincy disputes reduces to the barest minimum before he leaves office in 2024.

He emphasized that chieftaincy is at the heart of government as chiefs will a lot of power, hence prioritizing them and ensuring peace among areas where there are disputes is key to promoting development.

The Minister said this when he met with a delegation from USAID on Friday, May 5, 2023, in Accra to discuss the Ministries plans, projects and how best the USAID can support the Ministry to achieve it mandate.

The Ministry had discussions centering on training for Research Officers to enable them undertake research into the codification of the succession plan of chiefs, training for Chiefs and Queen Mothers to enable them to understand the need to protect their lands and not sell without carefully reading the indenture.

Hon. Asamoah Boateng informed the delegation from USAID that his office has circulated a draft act for the regulation of religious bodies and was working to ensure key stakeholders make inputs to make the document a strong one that will help sanitise the system and weed out the charlatans and ensuring the religious act is well firmed for regulation of the religious system.

For her part, the head of the delegation from USAID and Mission Director Kimberly Rosen congratulated the Minister for his appointment and expressed her excitement that government had a roadmap aimed at bringing peace in Bawku in the Upper East Region and appealed for the Ministry to collaborate with the National Peace Council as they were key actors in this.

She pledged the support of her office to ensure the Ministry achieves its mandate.

Source: Public Affairs and Communication Unit, MCRA