Ghana is currently dealing with 503 chieftaincy, land, and ethnic disputes, COP Abdul-Razak Osman, the National Security Coordinator, has disclosed.
Out of the total number, 130 have been classified as high-risk conflicts that pose serious threats to community stability and national security, while also placing significant strain on the public purse.
Speaking at a meeting with members of the National House of Chiefs in Kumasi, COP Abdul-Razak said these disputes had claimed many lives across the country and continued to undermine peace and development.
“These are not just statistics we are mentioning. They are fathers, mothers, sons, daughters and most importantly, your subjects whose lives have been cut short,” he told the gathering of traditional leaders.
The National Security Coordinator led a delegation from the National Security Secretariat to the House to seek the support of the chiefs in efforts to address growing threats to national security.
Key among these threats, he noted, were chieftaincy and land disputes, illegal mining activities causing environmental degradation, and the proliferation and misuse of firearms.

COP Abdul-Razak revealed that plans were underway to formally integrate chiefs into Ghana’s national security architecture, acknowledging their unique influence within their respective communities.
He described the ongoing violent conflicts in Bawku and Nkwanta as deeply worrying, saying the persistent instability in those areas was destroying lives and derailing development in areas that were once vibrant and productive.
“We are here today because behind every dispute over a stool and every conflict over land lies a deeper customary or traditional issue such as the erosion of mechanisms that once made such violence unthinkable and the gradual undermining of traditional authority,” he stated.
He emphasised that the solution to these conflicts could not be found through violence, but rather through the wisdom of traditional rulers.
“When you speak, peace follows. When you choose dialogue over division, your subjects will listen,” he said, urging the chiefs to intensify efforts in resolving chieftaincy-related disputes.
Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, President of the National House of Chiefs, commended the National Security Coordinator for recognising the critical role of traditional authorities in promoting peace and development.
He, however, expressed concern about the longstanding marginalisation of chiefs in governance, despite frequent acknowledgments of their importance by successive governments.
He expressed hope that the current initiative would mark a turning point, leading to a stronger collaboration between state institutions and traditional leaders in building a more peaceful and prosperous society.