During their consultation in drafting a new constitution, the members of the Constitutional Review Commission of 1995 were informed that chieftaincy in Ghana and Nigeria was different from that in The Gambia. In Ghana and Nigeria, the former kings retained power, unlike The Gambia where they were transformed into appointees of the Governor who can remove them from office at will without explanation or justification. This is what obtains this blessed day.
When the 1997 Constitution was enacted, it made provision for the election of chiefs who could remain in office till the age of 70. Hence the Local Government Act could have simply provided for the removal of chief for corruption, maladministration and so on, after the findings of a tribunal. It is the Jammeh administration that amended the Constitution and introduced appointment by the executive and the office of paramount chief, which was never consolidated during the colonial era or the era of the republic.
Foroyaa calls on the current chiefs to put more emphasis on their judicial functions and aim to fulfil their mandates without any interference from the executive, rather than have their eye on monarchical traditions as we see in other countries where citizens have to carry their chiefs on their shoulders like slaves carrying their masters. This type of tradition is making Africans a mockery of the human race. Slavery oriented traditions should be uprooted. Otherwise, we should not condemn others for enslaving Africans.
