ABSTRACT
Scholars have noted that cultural ideas and power imbalances weaken accountability of
chiefs in stool lands administration in Ghana. For this reason, the Land Administration
Project (LAP) was initiated in 2001 with its main objective of ensuring transparency and
accountability in stool land administration through the creation of Customary Land
Secretariat (CLS). This study evaluated the extent to which the CLS has improved
accountability of chiefs in stool land administration in the Akyem Abuakwa traditional
state in Ghana, using the rational choice institutional theory to explain the nature and
effectiveness of the CLS. In terms of methodology, the research used an interpretive
philosophical approach to pursue a qualitative case study. In-depth interviews, a focus
group discussion (FGD) and direct observations were used to collect data from chiefs and
other actors involved in stool land administration for analysis. The findings of the research
suggest that ideas and interests of actors are very important for the success of every
institutional reform. The idea and power relations of chiefs influenced their ability to
undermine the effectiveness of the CLS in ensuring their accountability to the local
communities. The study concluded that the CLS created at Akyem Abuakwa State has not
been an effective organization for improving the accountability of chiefs in stool land
administration due to lack of ideological and political support from chiefs and the ‘subjects’
of chiefs. The study recommends that institutional reformers should look beyond the
economic interests of stakeholders to take seriously the ideas and power relations of actors
that actually enable or obstruct the goals of institutional reforms.
ADJADEH, J (2021). Improving Accountability Of Chiefs In Land Administration In Ghana: A Case Study Of Stool Land Administration Reforms In The Akyem Abuakwa Traditional State. Afribary. Retrieved from https://afribary.com/works/improving-accountability-of-chiefs-in-land-administration-in-ghana-a-case-study-of-stool-land-administration-reforms-in-the-akyem-abuakwa-traditional-state
ADJADEH, JOHN-PAUL "Improving Accountability Of Chiefs In Land Administration In Ghana: A Case Study Of Stool Land Administration Reforms In The Akyem Abuakwa Traditional State" Afribary. Afribary, 18 Apr. 2021, https://afribary.com/works/improving-accountability-of-chiefs-in-land-administration-in-ghana-a-case-study-of-stool-land-administration-reforms-in-the-akyem-abuakwa-traditional-state. Accessed 27 Dec. 2024.
ADJADEH, JOHN-PAUL . "Improving Accountability Of Chiefs In Land Administration In Ghana: A Case Study Of Stool Land Administration Reforms In The Akyem Abuakwa Traditional State". Afribary, Afribary, 18 Apr. 2021. Web. 27 Dec. 2024. < https://afribary.com/works/improving-accountability-of-chiefs-in-land-administration-in-ghana-a-case-study-of-stool-land-administration-reforms-in-the-akyem-abuakwa-traditional-state >.
ADJADEH, JOHN-PAUL . "Improving Accountability Of Chiefs In Land Administration In Ghana: A Case Study Of Stool Land Administration Reforms In The Akyem Abuakwa Traditional State" Afribary (2021). Accessed December 27, 2024. https://afribary.com/works/improving-accountability-of-chiefs-in-land-administration-in-ghana-a-case-study-of-stool-land-administration-reforms-in-the-akyem-abuakwa-traditional-state