I will give you more powers if I win 2024 elections – Bawumia assures chiefs
The flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has pledged to review Ghana’s Chieftaincy Act if he is elected to lead the nation after the 2024 general election.
Addressing the Bono East Regional House of Chiefs in Techiman during his campaign tour, Dr Bawumia said he had noted with concern how traditional authorities in the country have been limited in their jurisdictions.
“The most important thing is that, in our government system, since independence, one of the areas where we have not done well is that we have sidelined chiefs for far too long. The powers of chiefs in governance have gone down. That is why I want to rearrange and review section 63(D) of the Chieftaincy Act to give more powers to the chiefs,” he promised.
He also revealed that many cases backlogged in courts could have been resolved by chiefs, provided they had the power to do so.
“So when I become president, I will give you the powers and equip you with the needed financial resources,” he pledged.
Dr Bawumia’s tour in various regions is to communicate his vision to Ghanaians on why he should be voted into power in the 2024 presidential election.
READ ALSO: “I Was Joking” – Bawumia Clarifies Church Incentive Comments
During one of his tours, he clarified his statement about providing incentives to churches to undertake developmental projects when he gets the nod to lead the nation.
Dr. Bawumia, in a meeting with the clergy as part of his nationwide tour, explained that his statement may have been taken out of context.
He underscored that his statement was made within the context of the church and other faith-based institutions’ contribution to the country’s development.
He cited schools, hospitals, and other essential facilities built by faith-based institutions and highlighted the importance of cushioning them to do more for the country.
“Unless you don’t understand the work the church has done. If you are looking at the buildings, the way they keep the society together, the universities, the hospitals, the schools, it is massive. It is just massive. Many churches have hundreds of schools. So I don’t see, and I will not have a situation where we are taxing churches.
“We will rather want to give churches incentives to support what the government is doing. I want us to be partners in the way that the development partners are with us. You are our domestic development partners, and we will give you incentives to do more,” he explained.