Chiefs urged to assert leadership roles in economic development

Traditional authorities would have to assert their leadership roles in the economic development of their localities to reduce environmental degradation caused by resource exploitation.

This is emerging from the last session of the ongoing service management and leadership training for traditional authorities in the Ashanti region.

The Africa Progress Report has indicted multinational firms for not doing much for Africa in contract deals and negotiations on mineral wealth.

Former UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan has stated that tax avoidance, secret mining deals and financial transfers are depriving Africa of the benefits of its resources boom.

Whilst expecting African countries to improve governance, he entreated the world's richest nations to introduce global rules on transparency and taxation.

Some chiefs participating in the training raised issues of their non-involvement in government’s negotiations with firms in the exploitation of

natural resources.

But according to Nana Otuo Acheampong, Head of the Osei Tutu II Centre for Executive Education and Research (OTCEER), it behooves on the traditional authorities to be proactive in engaging government in the exploitation of natural resources.

He believes that chiefs can demand transparency and accountability from government, but they first need to be knowledgeable about project and finance management as well as engage professionals when going into negotiations.

“We cannot continue to blame others when we ourselves don’t learn”, said Nana Otuo. He is confident the ‘Leadership and Financial Management’ module under the OTCEER service management and leadership training “would empower Nananom to assert the right thing to be done”.

The four-modular programme, funded by the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), has also covered Service Management and Innovation, ICT and Land Administration, and Contemporary Issues in Leadership.

 

Director of Programmes at the CEIBS, Prof. Mathew Tsamenyi observed that the success or failure in the execution of local projects largely depends on how finances are managed.

“The whole idea is to be able to instill some financial discipline in what happens in the traditional council. Now if Nananom are going to play key central role in leadership and development of their community, they have to be thinking about managing their finance well” he stated.

As the four-month pilot project ends, there are plans to roll out the training in other parts of the country, starting with the Brong Ahafo and Volta regions later this year.

The ultimate objective is to engage the traditional authorities to regard their subjects as customers in order for people in local communities to “inure loyalty to royalty”.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh

Chiefs go to school to learn management and customer service

Traditional authorities from across the country are learning to better manage resources within their localities and to treat their subjects like customers.

The chiefs are being exposed to innovative ideas in the discharge of routine duties in their communities.

The programme is run by the Osei Tutu II Centre for Executive Education and Research (OTCEER) in Kumasi, with funding from the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS).

“We want them to have a different mindset in the way they interact with their subjects; primarily to treat their subjects like their customers”, said OTCEER Head, Nana Otuo Acheampong, who emphasized that people would be more loyal to the causes the chiefs lead when treated like customers.

The first batch of 30 from the Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs is currently enrolled in the four month training course.

The four-modular programme covers service management and innovation, leadership and land administration, contemporary issues in leadership and financial management for chiefs as leaders.

Nana Acheampong noted the programme is inspired by the Asantehene’s project in land lease renewal “where about five or six banks are now resident at Manhyia taking monies as opposed to the traditional way where you’d have had to get a bottle of schnapps and for about two months you’d be trooping the palace to get your lease renewed”.

According to him, the beneficiary chiefs have demonstrated commitment to learn to benefit from the training.

“Our primary aim is for them to use the skills acquired in improving their communities. Now if the secondary aim would lead some, especially when we come to look at financial management, to them establishing enterprises to help their people, then we’d thank God for that; anything  that would generate income for the people to be self-sufficient would be encouraged”.

The course would be run for chiefs and queen mothers in all ten regions of the country.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh