University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh DUALISM IN LOCAL GOVERNANCE: The Case of Chieftaincy and Local Government in Small Communities of Akyem Abuakwa State of Ghana PETER BOATENG ID 10191239 This Thesis is submitted to the Department of Sociology, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology. June, 2013 I University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh DECLARATION I do hereby declare that this work with the exception of acknowledged quotations and ideas attributed to specified sources, is entirely my own and that it is the true record of the goal set. PETER BOATENG (CANDIDATE) SUPERVISORS PROF. EMERITUS G. K. NUKUNYA SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENT UNIVERSITY OF GHANA LEGON SIGN. DATE. PROF. C. FAYORSEY SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENT UNIVERSITY OF GHANA LEGON SIGN. DATE. PROF. C. ABOTCHIE SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENT UNIVERSITY OF GHANA LEGON SIGN. DATE. II University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh DEDICATION This work is dedicated to the late Doris Adomaa Boateng, my only full blooded sister, who encouraged me to persue the PHD Programme but did not live long enough to see its completion. III University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Praise be to God for his protection and providence towards all my endeavors. In undertaking this study, I have gained a lot from the contributions of some people; the obvious are my three supervisors, Emeritus Prof. G. K. Nukunya, Prof. C. Fayorsey and Prof. C. R. K. Abotchie whose insights and arguments I found to be very useful. My special gratitude to Dr. D. Dzorgbo, the current Head of Sociology Department for giving me the opportunity to continue the program, in spite of the difficult situation I encountered at the latter stages of the program, and I wish to abundantly thank Prof. K. Senah, former Head of Sociology Department, for his patience and sobriety in managing the problems which came up while executing this research study. My appreciation goes to Prof. K. Ofori and Prof. H. Akussah, Dean and Vice Dean of the School of Research and Graduate Studies, for their fairness in dealing with the problems I encountered during the latter part of the program. Furthermore, I am very grateful to Nana Appiah Boateng, my biological father, who read through this thesis twice and made very important editorial suggestions. Likewise, my appreciation goes to the selflessness and dedication demonstrated by Mr. Mathew Ofori and Mr. Yaw Annor, who assisted me in administering the questionnaires and conducting all the interviews of the study. I am also very much indebted to the current chiefs and traditional elders of Apapam and Nkronso who availed themselves for detailed data to be collected from the two local communities. I thank the DCE, assemblymen, unit committee members, and the people of Apapam and Nkronso for their cooperation during the data collection process. For lack of space, there are other numerous names I cannot mention, particularly those who read through parts of the work and made important suggestions. Nonetheless, the responsibility for any shortcomings in this study is entirely mine. IV University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Declaration. ..II Dedication . .. .III Acknowledgement. .IV Tables of Contents. V List of Tables. .X List of Diagrams . XII List of Abbreviations . XIII Abstract. XVI CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Political Dualism in Ghana......................................................................................1 1.2 The Quest for Effective Governance System.........................................................4 1.3 The Problem Statement...........................................................................................6 1.4 The Objective of the Study....................................................................................10 1.5 Hypotheses..............................................................................................................11 1.6 The Research Method............................................................................................13 1.6.1 The areas of study…………………………………………………....13 1.6.2 Target Population and Sampling........................................................16 1.6.3 Data Collection Instruments...............................................................19 1.6.4 Field work schedules..........................................................................23 1.6.5 Data Analyses.....................................................................................24 1.7 Concept Operationalisation..................................................................................26 1.7.1 Operationalisation of Local Government and Chieftaincy………….26 1.7.2 Authority of Traditional Leaders and Government Functionaries.....27 1.7.3 Level of Involvement in Socio-economic Activities by Traditional Leaders and Government Functionaries……….............28 V University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh 1.8 Explanation of Key Concepts…….........................................................................29 1.8.1 Political Dualism.............................................................................29 1.8.2 Political Institution..........................................................................29 1.8.3 Governance.....................................................................................29 1.8.4 Government....................................................................................30 1.8.5 Difference Between Governance and Government .......................30 1.8.6 National Governance......................................................................30 1.8.7 Local Governance...........................................................................31 1.8.8 Power / Authority relations……………………………………….31 1.9 Organization of the Study.....................................................................................32 CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 2.1 Introduction............................................................................................................. 34 2.2 Literature Review..................................................................................................34 2.2.1 The Emergence and Legal Framework of Dualism in Ghana ………35 2.2.2 Nature of Relations within the Dualism Under the Fourth Republic..42 2.2.3 Constraints of Governance at the Local level in Ghana.....................44 2.2.4 The Debate on whether or Not Chieftaincy should be abolished in order to Abrogate Dualism in Ghana..............................................45 2.2.5 The way forward for Effective Governance at the Local Level in Ghana and Africa..........................................................................53 2.3 Theoretical Framework.........................................................................................58 2.3.1 Perspective on the Emergence of the Dualism..................................60 2.3.2 Perspective on the Legitimacy of the Dualism..................................62 2.3.3 Perspective on the Diverse Relations within the Dualism.................66 VI University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh CHAPTER THREE THE HISTORY AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF THE STUDY AREAS 3.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………….….74 3.2 The Geographical and Historical Background of Akyem (Abuakwa) State.....76 3.3 Social Structure of the Akyem Abuakwa State………………………………....78 3.4 Overview of the Existing Governance Structures in Akyem Abuakwa……….79 3.4.1 The Traditional Political Institution (Chieftaincy)……………….80 3.4.2 Decentralisation and Local Government………………………….83 CHAPTER FOUR PREVAILING POLITICAL DUALISM AS EXPRESSED IN THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES IN APAPAM AND NKRONSO 4.1 Introduction............................................................................................................90 4.2 Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Respondents.........................................92 4.3 The Prevailing Dualism as expressed in the control and regulation of community natural resources in Apapam and Nkronso...................................97 4.3.1 How the Natural Resources are Owned and Managed………………97 4.3.2 The Authority of the Two Leaderships………………………….....105 4.3.3 Levels of Involvement of the two leaderships in Socio-Economic Activities in Apapam and Nkronso……………………………......113 4.3.4 The Hypotheses of the Study……………………………………...121 4.4 The Prevailing Dualism as Expressed in the Implementation of Development Projects in Apapam and Nkronso..............................................126 4.4.1 Initiating Socio-Economic Activities.............................................127 4.4.2 Administering Socio-Economic Activities in the Communities....131 VII University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh CHAPTER FIVE THE PREVAILING DUALISM AS EXPRESSED IN THE MAINTENANCE OF LAW AND ORDER IN APAPAM AND NKRONSO 5.1 Introduction……………………..……………………………………………….144 5.2 Sanctions in the two Local Communities...........................................................145 5.2.1 Traditional Sanctions......................................................................145 5.2.2 Modern State Sanctions at the Local Level....................................156 5.3 Offences in the communities...............................................................................158 5.3.1 Omansem.........................................................................................158 5.3.2 Efisem..............................................................................................160