Ghanaians Urged To Hold Leaders Accountable For CRC Recommendations

Some of the Constitution Review Committee members

 

Ghanaians have been urged to ensure that the recommendations from the ongoing Constitution Review Committee (CRC) are implemented after the report is presented to President John Dramani Mahama.

Members of the committee gave this advice during a public engagement in the Bono Region, where they collected views on the review of the 1992 Constitution after 33 years of its operation in the current democratic dispensation.

According to Prof. Henry Kwesi Prempeh, Chairman of the eight-member committee, the Bono Region engagement constitutes the ninth zonal engagement. He explained that the final regional engagement would be held in the Ashanti Region, followed by a meeting with the National House of Chiefs, the last of the interest groups to be consulted.

Addressing a cross-section of the public, including market women, security organisations, transport operators, chiefs, queen mothers, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), political party members, students, government workers, and private workers, Prof. Prempeh emphasised the need to review the 1992 Constitution due to various development changes and challenges that have arisen during its implementation.

He cited instances such as a hung Parliament, attempted constitutional amendments, the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP), and the suspension of the Chief Justice, among others.

“All these things have happened to us as a country, and there’s a need to review the Constitution,” he said.

After compiling views from meetings with interest groups and key personalities, the committee will present its report to President Mahama.

“We’re not going to provide recommendations that will worsen the people’s problems but rather correct issues like local government administration, mineral resource management, and community involvement to prevent galamsey,” he assured.

The Chairman noted that politicians may not be pleased with some of the committee’s recommendations, as they will impact their operations. Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko Amidu, a committee member, advised the Ghanaian public to mobilise and apply pressure to ensure the recommendations are implemented, as politicians are likely to resist them.

Prof. Kwame Karikari, another committee member, emphasised the need for citizens to hold politicians accountable and ensure they prioritise the people’s interests. “We’re just servants of the government, and once we present our report, our work is done. We’re all Ghanaians who share the same pains. It’s up to us to make sure politicians do what we want, so the country works for all of us,” he advocated.

During their nationwide engagement, Prof. Karikari lamented the poor state of the road network, questioning the allocation of borrowed funds. “From Tamale to Wa, Accra to Ho, Cape Coast to Takoradi, you ask yourself what happened to all the borrowed money,” he rhetorically asked, adding, “Politicians are not better than us.”

FROM Daniel Y. Dayee, Sunyani

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