For almost five years, the Western Regional House of Chiefs operated without executives to preside over meetings due to election disputes.

The divided house could not also send any member from the region to the National House of Chiefs due to the impasse.

On Thursday 6th February 2025, the house decided to bury the hatchets following an intervention made by Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah.

The Minister, also a Member of Parliament for Ellembelle in the Western region, was in the house for a meeting to thank the traditional rulers for supporting him during his vetting and subsequent confirmation by Parliament as the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources.

The meeting with the chiefs, which was his first assignment outside Accra as sector minister, was slated to take place at the house at exactly 10: 00 am.

Unfortunately, the meeting encountered some delay for about two hours due to lack of leadership in the house to preside over the meeting and determine its format and formalities.

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Emmanuel Armah Kofi then stepped into the picture and reconciled the house in a closed-door meeting which was held at his behest and lasted for two hours before the scheduled meeting proceeded.

During the meeting, the Paramount Chief of Nsein traditional area, Awulae Agyefi Kwame, then announced to the amazement of the house, the frantic effort made by the Member of Parliament for Ellembelle to broker the historic peace in the house.

According to the Octogenarian traditional ruler, who remains the longest-serving member of the house, the humility, character, track record and respect of the Minister as well as the approach he adopted to settle the impasse, worked perfectly to reconcile the house.

He used the rare opportunity to gladly announce the new leadership formed for the house. It will be led by Nana Kobinah Nketsia (V), Paramount Chief of Essikado Traditional Area as President.

Aside from selecting leadership for the house, the traditional rulers also selected those who will represent the house at the National House of Chiefs.

Responding to the understanding reached by the Chiefs towards the reconciliation process, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, commended the Chiefs for listening to his wise counsel and assured them of his unflinching support.

Western Regional Minister Nominee, Joseph Nelson who gave the vote of thanks expressed excitement about the positive development.

He revealed that, but for the intervention of the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, the divided house of chiefs would have been one of the headaches his administration would carry going into the battle of addressing challenges facing the region following his assumption of office.

Joseph Nelson will be sworn into office on Friday, February 7, as the substantive Minister for the Western Region.