The flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has pledged to restore power to chiefs in Ghana if he is elected as president in the upcoming general election.

According to Dr. Bawumia, Ghana has erred in its constitution by stripping chiefs of their power and denying them active participation in politics.

"Under my government, I will amend the chieftaincy act to empower chiefs to enforce discipline effectively and help govern the country by resolving cases that should be settled at their level without going to court," he stated.

He emphasised the need for discipline, noting, "there is no discipline, and I don't know how this has happened, but we need to go back and make amends."

"I am proposing an amendment to Section 63(d) of the Chieftaincy Act, as recommended by my manifesto committee, to give more power back to the chiefs."

He believes this change will reduce the heavy burden on the courts and allow for more cases to be settled locally.

This, he argued, would enable chiefs to resolve disputes within their communities swiftly and help decrease the backlog of cases in the courts.

Additionally, Dr. Bawumia pledged his commitment to providing living wages to paramount chiefs, divisional chiefs, and queen mothers, ensuring they receive adequate resources to perform their duties effectively.

"We have given them responsibilities, and we need to resource them to work effectively in building the country and their communities," he said.

Dr. Bawumia made these statements during his engagement with the Oti Regional House of Chiefs, clergy, party members, and other supporters of the NPP in the Krachi East during his Oti regional campaign tour over the weekend.

In response, the chiefs and queen mothers welcomed his proposal, expressing that he truly cares for traditional leaders.

They wished the flagbearer well on his journey to become the next president of the nation.