Akufo-Addo: President Expresses Open Support For Review Of Ghana’s Constitution

• Nana Akufo-Addo has said he is a firm believer in the calls for the 1992 Constitution to be reviewed to deal with gaps
• The president said the constitution is a living organism and must grow to deal with the dynamics of the time
• His comments at an event to mark 30 years of the Fourth Republican Constitution follow similar calls by experts in the past

President Nana Akufo-Addo has joined calls for Ghana’s constitution to be reviewed to tackle governance lapses since it came into force in 1992.

Speaking at an event to commemorate 30 years of the referendum that ushered in the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the president said, just any living thing, the constitution must grow and reflect the changing times.

In a pre-recorded video to mark the 30th anniversary of the referendum that approved the constitution, Nana Akufo-Addo said, “We should never forget though that the constitution is a living document, and so whenever circumstances require, we should be prepared to make the necessary amendments to affect the needs of contemporary and future times.”

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Although the Fourth Republican Constitution of 1992, which followed from a decades-old military regime, is Ghana’s most successful, it has been criticised for many loopholes.

Many analysts say the current constitution impedes the effectiveness of Ghana’s democracy in bringing about good governance and development.

There has been strong advocacy for Ghana’s constitution to be reviewed to block existing lacunas for many years.

Renowned businessman Sam Jonah, in April this year, called for a review of the constitution to reduce the raft of Executive powers granted to presidents under the current dispensation.

Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has also faulted Article 71 of the constitution because it threatens Ghana’s democracy.

That article makes special provisions for the wages and emoluments of presidents, their vices and other people high up on the governance structure.

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Law professor and Executive Director of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD), a think tank, has also joined calls for the review of the 1992 Constitution to address current challenges.

In his view, the 1992 Constitution encourages profligacy because it invites wasteful growth in the size of government and public expenditure.

Supreme Court Dismisses Application To Review Its Interpretation Of Voting Rights of Deputy Speaker

The Supreme Court on Tuesday, April 26, 2022 courted controversy when it dismissed an application to review its ruling that the constitution allows Deputy Speakers of Parliament to vote and be counted as part of a quorum has been dismissed.

The nine members of the apex court dismissed Justice Abdulai’s review application in a unanimous decision.

Justices Jones Dotse presided and was assisted by Prof. Mensah Bonsu, Emmanuel Kulendi, Nene Amegatcher, Prof Ashie Kotey, Lovelace Johnson, Mariama Owusu, Clemence Honyenuga and Gertrude Torkonoo, according to a Joy News report.

Source: YEN.com.gh