The chiefs and queens of Akuapem, led by the Krontihene, Osahene Offei Kwasi Agyeman, last week brainstormed on the various cultural practices and traditions of the Akans, especially those relating to inheritance.
The programme dubbed: “Ascertainment and Codification of Customary Law Project”, which was organised jointly by the Ghana Law Commission and the National House of Chiefs with financial support from GTZ of Germany, was to initiate modernise traditional practices found to be inimical to society and codify them to assist the law courts to properly deal with such issues.
The report of the meeting, which was held at the Regional House of Chiefs in Koforidua, would be submitted to the National House of Chiefs for further study before being submitted to the Law Reform Commission for final study and codification.
Addressing the gathering, the Sempe Mantse, Nii Adote Obuor who represented the National House of Chiefs, said since there were inter-marriages among the various ethnic groups, it was necessary to have a codified set of customary laws that would deal with cases on the different customary practices, especially those on inheritance.
According to him, the law courts found it difficult dealing with issues relating to customary practices, especially those regarding inheritance, while most of the family heads who were young were also not well-versed in their own traditions and culture to deal with such issues.
He said in view of such a situation, the best thing to do was to have a set of codified customary laws that would enable the law courts to handle every issue relating to the traditions of the people in every part of the country.
Nii Adotey Obuor expressed the hope that the deliberations by nananom would help in the adjudication of sensitive cases involving customs and traditions that would be acceptable to all aggrieved persons.
Other issues such as the burial of royals and ordinarycitizens, widowhood rites and adoption were discussed at the meeting.
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