Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs has expressed its confidence in the Vice President and flagbearer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to effectively lead Ghana as President.
The Chiefs noted that the NPP flagbearer for the 2024 general election has the potential to surpass the achievements of his predecessors and make a positive impact on the country.
The Paramount Chief of Nungua and Acting President of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs, Oboade Notse King Professor Odaifio Welentsi III, expressed these sentiments during a meeting with Dr. Bawumia in Accra yesterday.
Dr. Bawumia called on the traditional leaders at the Dodowa premises of the Regional House of Chiefs as part of his nationwide engagement with key stakeholders.
Obuade Tse Nii King Odaifio III who spoke on behalf of the Greater Accra Traditional Council emphasised that Dr. Bawumia’s calm and composed personality is an asset that will serve him well in leadership and urged him to maintain his temperament.
According to him, Dr. Bawumia’s leadership style is a departure from the violent and radical approach that has characterised some leaders in the past.
He believes the calm demeanour of the Vice President will enable him to make informed decisions that will benefit the country and its citizens.
“We state with all emphasis that when it comes to effective leadership, you don’t have to be radical, violent, or pompous to be a bold leader. Being a bold leader is not about brawls, but rather brains.
“Having observed you from afar, we believe you have a lot of potential to offer this country. Do not disappoint, because your records will always be there – they will be used to evaluate you.
“On selfless leadership, we have less to say about you. Your Excellency, you are an accomplished man. You’re a successful man. Therefore, we are convinced you will not fail the test when it comes to selfless leadership,” he stated.
On his part, Dr. Bawumia thanked the Greater Accra House of Chiefs for their endorsement and assured them that he will not disappoint the country when elected President.
He also sought their wisdom and guidance in his quest to lead Ghana forward.
‘Chiefs Will Enjoy Free Land Registration’
Meanwhile, the NPP flagbearer Dr. Bawumia has announced plans to make land registration free for chiefs and digitise the land tenure system in Ghana.
He said this is part of efforts being outlined to address long-standing land disputes associated with the land tenure system.
Speaking to the clergy in Accra as part of his nationwide campaign tour ahead of the 2024 election, Dr Bawumia identified the high cost of registration fees as a major obstacle preventing chiefs from registering their lands, leading to ownership disputes.
Citing examples from advanced countries where land ownership information is easily accessible online, the NPP flagbearer stressed the need to modernise the land tenure system in the country.
“Land in many countries, in the advanced world, if you want to know who owns the land, you can find it on your mobile phone, you don’t have to visit the land registry. So we are going to move to marking and digitalizing our land. So many land disputes come up because nobody really knows who owns the land.
“Many people claim ownership and one of the problems we have is that many of the stool lands are not registered. I found out that many of the chiefs find it difficult to pay the registration fee because it’s a bit expensive. So what am I going to do? We are going to provide free registration for all the chiefs,” Dr. Bawumia explained.
National Cathedral Project
Answering a question from the Clergy, Dr. Bawumia appealed to the church to take the lead in finding a way forward, including exploring private-sector funding options complete the National Cathedral project.
Emphasising the importance of the project for Ghana, the NPP flagbearer underscored the need for the church to unite and engage with the government to explore ways to secure private resources to complete the project.
“The church has to come together and meet the government so that we talk about the way forward. The church must come together and let the government know the best way forward on how we can get private resources to help us complete the National Cathedral,” Vice President Bawumia urged.
According to him, with a collective effort thee can be a solution, adding that, “if we all come together, we will figure it out.”
“I think if we all come together we will figure it out because we cannot leave it where it is,” Dr. Bawumia reiterated.
Background
The building of the Cathedral is in fulfillment of a pledge President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said he made to God before winning the 2016 presidential election.
The 5,000-seater auditorium Cathedral project will also bequeath to the country a gracious national park for all Ghanaians, bring new skills, technology and jobs to the country and act as a beacon to national, regional and international tourists.
In 2021, the Minister for Finance, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta announced that the government will commission the ongoing National Cathedral project on Wednesday, March 6, 2024.
However, the promise did not come to fruition as work on the project has stalled with millions of dollars already spent on it.
Apart from the lack of funds to continue the project, the project’s construction has been embroiled in a lot of controversy with the National Cathedral Secretariat accused by MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa of misapplying the funds.
The Secretariat has since denied the allegations even though the MP has taken the matter to the Commission on Human Rights and Administration Justice (CHRAJ) for investigation.
