A Qualitative Study of the Perception of the People of Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area on the Usefulness of the Chieftaincy Institution in Ghana

Abstract

This paper seeks to create awareness on the perception of the people of Akyem Abuakwa about the usefulness of chieftaincy Institution in Ghana today. In pre-colonial Ghana, the chieftaincy institution was the main system of governance and adjudication of justice. It is the oldest form of government in Ghana. The institution equally in present times is ripped with a number of violent conflicts. With this development, some people are of the opinion that the institution has outlived its usefulness in contemporary Ghanaian society. There is the argument on the issue of chieftaincy institution and its usefulness in the Ghanaian society. Probing the situation, 200 indigenes from the Akyem Abuakwa state in the Eastern Region of Ghana were selected through quota and purposive sampling techniques in a cross-sectional study. The article found that few people in the traditional area believed that the institution is a potential source of conflict and violence while the majority of the people believed the institution is a blessing to the society because it brings about peace, stability and development in Ghana.