Story: Franklin Asare-Donkoh
Leader of the National Interest Movement (NIM), Dr. Forster Abu Sakara has added his voice to calls lending credence to the need to review Ghana’s 1992 Republican Constitution.
According to him, there is no Constitution in the world that has stayed the same forever.
Speaking on the topic: “30 years of the 1992 Constitution: Agenda for reforms”, on the GTV Breakfast Show, on Monday, May 16, 2022, Dr. Abu Sakara alluded that the beginning of the reform processes should entail the study of the report submitted to the State by the Constitutional Review Committee.
The Leader of the NIM explained that, even though the Constitution is very comprehensive, it is 30 years old.
There has been one striking note that keeps unfolding in every conversation, which is the unlimited powers given to the Executive.
“Looking at the report (Constitution) it is very comprehensive, and now 30 years old. So other issues have come up but when you consult with various bodies and people you find out that consistently some key things keep coming up every single time”.
“The first one is the imbalance of power between arms of the State. That is to say excess power of the Executive, how can we correct this imbalance. How can we make sure that there is a proper balance and that there is not a conflict of interest? That is a fundamental issue and not a partisan issue. Is just how we want our country to run better for everybody no matter who is there.” he opined.
The second issue Dr. Abu Sakara enumerated is the independence of the Independent Constitutional Bodies, how the leaders of those institutions are selected or appointed, and how their budget is controlled.
“This is very crucial because we can appoint you but your budget will be structured in such a way that you cannot work so these changes have to be in the Constitution” he added.
