The Paramount Chief of the Likpe Traditional Area and President of the Oti Regional House of Chiefs, Nana Soglo Alloh IV, has called on the government to consider amending the 1992 Constitution before the general elections.
The chief has proposed that the amendment should grant the Chief Justice the power to administer the oath of office to newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs) instead of the Speaker.
According to him, Article 95 grants MPs the power to elect a Speaker. However, Article 100 of the same 1992 Constitution states that before a Member of Parliament takes their seat, they must be sworn in by the Speaker of the same Parliament.
He noted that these two articles are contradictory, as under the constitution, the first duty of an MP in a new Parliament is to elect the Speaker, while Article 100 provides that after the Speaker is elected by the MPs, the Speaker swears in the MPs.
He humbly suggested that the constitution should be amended to allow the Chief Justice to be responsible for swearing in the Members of Parliament before they perform their duty of electing the Speaker.
Talking about chieftaincy and development, he bemoaned the fact that very little credit has been given to traditional rulers and authorities in the development of the country, despite much being written about the roles that churches and the government have played in the development of society, particularly in the field of education.
The chief noted that over the years, the chieftaincy institution has undergone tremendous transformation, maintaining its core values while adapting to modernity. It has faced competition from churches and politicians for the people’s loyalty and continues to face challenges. Nevertheless, as an institution, it has become more responsive to the development of its people and continues to provide the cohesion that guarantees unity.
Nana Soglo added that the institution continues to symbolize and embody rich cultural values. However, he cautioned that apart from festivals, chieftaincy can also be very destructive and a threat to security when disputes arise and are not properly handled.
He expressed concern about the recent incidents in Nkwanta South and the ongoing situation in Bawku, as typical examples of chieftaincy disputes threatening the peace and national security.
The chief said it is his prayer that the disturbances in Bawku do not spread across the region and disrupt the peace during the December general elections.
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