Abstract:
Ghana is still battling with a dual governance system nearly 60 years after attaining
independence. The situation has resulted in misunderstandings and claims of
superiority of authority between state officialdom and traditional rulers which
derail local development efforts. The study set out to explore ways of integrating
traditional authority with the local government system of governance. The Central
Region was selected and categorised into three types of paramountcies within the
jurisdiction of four Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
The mixed method approach guided the study and a total of 658 respondents and
discussants were sampled using both probability and non-probability sampling
procedures. The new institutional, subsidiarity, modernisation, endogenous and the
interactive governance theories were used to explain the tradition-modernity
debate within the broader context of local level development. The study found that
traditional authorities would like to be integrated into the local government system.
This meant improving collaboration in all important deliberations such as serving
as chairpersons on all relevant sub-committees of the District Assemblies. TAs felt
that their direct involvement would be more beneficial to their people because they
would be in a better position to press home the demands of their people and
thereby avoid any possible conflict between the TAs and the District Assemblies.
The study recommends that collaboration of the two authorities would require a
more concerted effort on consultations and the amendment of the Chieftaincy Act
651 by Parliament with the view to introducing District House of Chiefs in
consonance with the decentralised system of governance in the country.
