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The President, Nana Akufo-Addo has actually called on traditional leaders in the Bono region to help government clamp down on certain outmoded cultural practices as the nation gears towards growth.
He was speaking with the chiefs from the Bono Regional House of Chiefs yesterday. Cultural practices such as widowhood rites, accusing people of witchcraft, trokosi and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) are norms that infringe on the basic human rights of people particularly women.
The President has therefore urged the chiefs to ban these practices.
“There might be different reasons assigned [to certain practices] in different parts of the country on why you cannot farm near the river or go to the farm on a Wednesday/Thursday or fish on a Tuesday/Saturday. But there are rational and scientific reasons behind these traditional rules.
“By the same token, we should not be afraid of discarding those rules and practices that do not fit with modern or current realities and morals. I refer especially to practices that seeks to discriminate against women and children,” he specified. To him, there is no justification as to why a people go through those norms.
Akufo-Addo asked the chiefs to be advocate for change of the practices noting that, it will bring the main government closer.
“I urge you to speak out and join government’s fight against the ills of our society including corruption social and economic injustice, crime and the illegal mining menace. As chiefs you have a responsibility as it was done in the days of our fore fathers to help preserve our land,” he stated.
Source: Ghana Waves