The National Peace Council has called for more aid for chiefs to undergo mediation training to enhance their skills in conflict resolution.
According to the Council, because chiefs continue to play a key role in peace building in communities, it was vital for them to secure the necessary knowledge and skills for professional mediation.
Mr Sualah Abdallah Quandah, Executive Secretary of the Brong Ahafo Regional Peace Council, who made the call, urged the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to assist the chiefs in that regard.
Addressing the graduation ceremony of the seventh Professional Mediation Training Course of the Marian Conflict Resolution Centre at the Catholic University College at Fiapre, Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo region, Mr. Quandah said such support would enable the traditional leaders to become more effective in resolving conflicts.
“Professional mediation training will help our chiefs to be proactive in preventing or resolving conflicts,” he said.
According to him, traditional leaders who have gained such training were performing creditably in helping in peace building efforts in communities.
“Our traditional leaders remain influential in the communities, and therefore training them would be beneficial in preventing communal conflicts,” he stressed.
The Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs continue to encourage chiefs to adopt Appropriate Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms in resolving the many chieftaincy disputes that have clogged the courts.
The Ministry has also indicated its intention to have more chiefs trained in ADR to support conflict resolution efforts.
Apart from mediation, Ghana’s ADR Act 2010 (Act 798) recognises Customary Arbitration in which chiefs or community elders act as arbitrators.
By Edmund Mingle/adrdaily.com
