The Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama has appealed to the chiefs and people of Ga Mashie to use dialogue to settle all their chieftaincy disputes.
"I believe there is no issue beyond resolution. I also want you to see yourselves as one people because when you are one, differences will be easier to resolve," he added.
The Vice-President, who made the appeal at a durbar of chiefs to round off this year's Homowo of James Town British Accra (Ngleshie Alata), said "Accra is the capital of Ghana and it is therefore necessary for all of us to ensure that there is peace and stability here in Accra as much as possible".
As early as 1 p.m., a large crowd, including citizens of the area, tourists and people from other parts of the country, had gathered at Mantse Agbonaa to welcome the retinue of chiefs.
The Asafoatsemei (warlords) fired several rounds of musketry, while the various cultural troupes also put up the best of Ga cultural dances to the admiration of the visitors,
When the Vice-President's convoy arrived at the durbar grounds to grace the occasion, the whole place was thrown into a state of ecstasy as the youth in the area gave him a rousing welcome, a situation which gave the security per¬sonnel of the Vice-President a tough time.
"Chieftaincy disputes and communal violence breeds insecurity which leads to capital flight," he said.
His call comes at a time there is serious factional fighting over the Ga stool.
Last week, the people of Ga Mashie had to celebrate their annual festival amid tight security from the police to protect the Ga Mantse, King Tackie Tawiah II to sprinkle Kpokpoi, the traditional food of the Gas.
He congratulated the 87-year-old chief of James Town, Oblempong Nii Kojo Ababio, for the celebration, saying, "Homowo, I understand, gives the chiefs and people here the opportunity to thank God Almighty for seeing you through the year and also for the support of your ancestors against hunger."
He, however, said "you can only hoot at hunger when there is peace in the community".
Earlier in his welcoming address, Oblempong Ababio admitted the inconsistencies and ambiguities in succession to vacant stools in the country.
He, therefore, called on the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs and Culture to speed up with the research into that area to enable it to compile a register of legitimate ascendants to stools.
Oblempong Ababio said much as they wished to live in peace throughout the year, there were pockets of problems that needed to be resolved and called on all factions to resolve their differences in honesty and frankness.
He used the occasion to remind the government of the James Town project, which was meant to enhance the outlook of the area, saying, "this will offer employment to the many unemployed youth and, therefore, reduce poverty, which is rather high in James Town".
The occasion was also used to honour some personalities who had distinguished themselves in their various fields of endeavour.
They included Mrs Chinnery-Hesse, Senior Special Assistant to President JA Kufuor, Ms Oboshie Sai- Coffie, Minister of Information and Diasporan Relations, and Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and President’s Special Initiatives.
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