Minister-designate for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, has assured the Mamprugu Traditional Council and the people of Ghana that his longstanding ties to the Mamprugu traditional area will not compromise his ability to discharge his duties with fairness, neutrality and impartiality.

Appearing before Parliament’s Appointments Committee for his vetting on Thursday, August 27, 2026, Mr Ayariga responded to concerns raised by the Mamprugu Traditional Council over his suitability to oversee matters involving chieftaincy and local governance.

The Council’s petition had specifically questioned whether his relationship with the Mamprugu traditional area could affect his objectivity in the performance of his ministerial responsibilities.

Mr Ayariga acknowledged his strong connection to the area but said the relationship was rooted in his family background and upbringing rather than political considerations.

He explained that his maternal heritage is Mamprusi and that people from the Mamprugu traditional area had played a significant role in shaping his upbringing and personal development.

According to him, the values instilled in him through those relationships would strengthen, rather than undermine, his commitment to fairness in public office.

He assured the Committee that if approved, he would approach issues before his ministry objectively and ensure that no personal or traditional affiliation influenced his decisions.

Mr Ayariga stressed that his responsibility as Minister would be to serve the interests of the entire country and to uphold the principles of fairness, neutrality and impartiality in dealing with all traditional authorities and stakeholders.

“My mother is a Mamprusi and they are my uncles, and they are partly responsible for my upbringing and training me. If I fail in this new job, then it means that there is a defect in the way they have trained me and I believe that they trained me well and I will vindicate them by living up to their expectations.

“I can promise my grandfather, the Nayiri that in my capacity as Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, I will definitely live up to his expectations.”