Agona-Nkwanta (WR), May 10, GNA – Nana Eziaku IV, the Divisional Chief of the Ahanta Traditional area has entreated inhabitants to resort to the palace for dispute redresses and settlements to promote peaceful coexistence.
He said the court system over the years had not ensured unity of communities aside heavy sentences and remands, which had created congestion and even producing more criminals for the society.
Nana Eziaku IV said the adversarial nature of judicial case settlement could never be compared to what the palaces used to do in the past and called for more attention to the palace as an avenue for Alternative Dispute Resolution.
The chief was speaking at a durbar organised by HURDS Foundation in partnership with the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiatives for two communities: Agona-Nkwanta in the Ahanta West District and Aboadze in the Shama District.
The two communities were exposed to opportunities in the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act and the Case Tracking System introduced in 2018 to ensure speedy as well as proper records of all cases in the Judicial system.
Superintendent Valentine Akposu, the District Commander of Ahanta West bemoaned the increasing rate of incest and other sexual offenses in the area and urged them to be law abiding.
He said the laws did not only protect the citizenry, but also had punitive meausres to ensure the sanctity of society.
Ms Eva Ankrah, the Executive Director of HURDS Foundation said there was a need for the amendment of the ADR Acts to include petty offences that had increased the overcrowding of the prisons.
She encouraged the communities to follow up on the Case Tracking System and use ADR for amicable settlement and peaceful coexistence.
She also encouraged the communities to be interested in issues such as the Case Tracking System and follow up to see how the mandated organisations were implementing it.
Source: Ghana News Agency
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