ILGIs and local democracy
Chieftaincy, sovereignty and legitimacy and development: a pilot newspaper survey of the role of chiefs in three aspects of development
The role of traditional chiefs in development
Authors:
D. I. Ray; G. Eizlini
Publisher:
The Traditional Authority Applied Research Network, University of Calgary, 2004
This paper evaluates the potential and the reality of traditional chiefs in contributing to development, based on a on a newspaper survey. It focuses on three major themes addressing the involvement of chiefs in development: Education, Political Succession and Economic Development. The paper argues that traditional chiefs have the potential to add their legitimacy to development efforts, and they have actually been doing so in significant numbers.
Main findings include:
Education:
- The involvement of chiefs in education appears to be substantial and goes far beyond a handful of exemplary individuals
- Their support extends to acting as a mobilizing force that lobbies the post-colonial state and other educational resource providers.
- Chiefs organize and take part in fund-raising from their subjects and from themselves
- Chiefs therefore also push for financial mechanisms that will in some cases address the marginalization of the children of the poor, including the education of girl-children
The political succession:
- Ghanaian traditional leaders have deep legitimacy/credibility with their subjects, foreign dignitaries and leaders of the post-colonial state
- that many now regard the promotion of development, however defined, as being part of their job.
- chiefs are being impeached and removed from office by their people because the chiefs did not sufficiently promote development
- The involvement of chiefs in promoting economic development is extensive and geographically wide-spread
- Chiefs frequently act as intermediaries between their people and the leaders of the state in order to promote infrastructure development or tourism or agriculture
