The Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs has inaugurated six traditional councils in the Volta and Oti regions of the country with a call on them to ensure sustained peace in their various areas.

The six, five in the Volta Region and one in the Oti Region, were inaugurated in two days, with local magistrates swearing in the chiefs in charge of those traditional areas.

The five traditional councils from the Volta Region include, Penyi, Fievie, Mafi (Adidome), Somey, and Klikor, and Nkonya Wurupong from the Oti Region, were inaugurated with local magistrates swearing in the chiefs in charge of those traditional areas.

At the inauguration ceremony, the Chieftaincy Minister, Mr Ebenezer Kojo Kum, in a speech read on his behalf said the new traditional councils would establish the structures needed for the development of the two regions.

"The inauguration should be seen to integrate the people, a collaborative force to reckon with, to achieve peace for development in your various traditional areas," he added.

The need for traditional councils became necessary following the demarcation of the 10 regions into 16 in the first term of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo in 2017.

The Acting Chief Director for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Miss Fati Lily Soale, who led a five-member delegation from the Ministry to perform the inauguration of the traditional councils said chiefs would have to effectively deliver administrative and judicial roles, and must keep knowledge of methods and tools of alternative conflict resolution.

She said the government, recognizing the role of traditional authority in national development, continued to hold the chieftaincy institution in prominence, and therefore the advancement of traditional councils would help position traditional authority.