The Paramount Chief of the Ashantis, Otumfuor Osei Tutu II, said he will not accept portions of the 2020 Lands Act which empower Ghanaians to hold their traditional accountable for land sales.
Speaking at the Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs, he said even though laws in Ghana apply to every jurisdiction, he will not embrace the law because the Asante community also has its own laws.
He said laws vary in every traditional society and the Ashanti region also has its own laws.
"Even though the laws are made for everyone, here in the Asante kingdom, we also have our laws. Chiefs cannot be forced to account to anybody," he said.
He argued that their chieftaincy will be undermined if they welcome the law.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, explained that the Act is meant to ensure transparency.
According to him, traditional chiefs who are caretakers of the lands they manage are supposed to account to their subjects for lands sale.
He indicated that this transparency is necessary for the development of the country.
However, the Asantehene said the Act must be reconsidered as it undermines their authority.
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