Prominent Ghanaian politician, Hon. Muntaka, has expressed his concerns regarding the 1992 Constitution, claiming that it has not served the country well and is only contributing to the rise of what he calls “monster presidents.” Muntaka’s remarks have ignited a fresh debate about the efficacy and suitability of Ghana’s current constitutional framework.
Hon Muntaka, a member of parliament known for his vocal opinions, today in Parliament expressed his disappointment with the impact of the 1992 Constitution on Ghana’s governance system. He argued that instead of nurturing accountable and democratic leadership, the constitution has inadvertently enabled presidents to accumulate excessive power and act with impunity.
“I have always said with the greatest respect that the 1992 Constitution only helps us to elect a dictator because if you look at the Constitution, all it does is create a monster president who is a superhuman and does almost everything and a lot of checks have to be corrected in the current constitution,” he said.
Proponents of constitutional reform argue that it is essential to revise the current framework to enhance transparency, accountability, and to safeguard against potential abuses of power. They suggest that revisiting the 1992 Constitution could lead to a more balanced system of governance, with clear limitations on executive authority and stronger mechanisms for oversight and accountability.
“I keep asking what is preventing us from implementing the recommendations of the Constitutional Amendment Commission because since 2013, we have virtually iced it, yet a lot of work has been done and it is just left with the implementation and we have left it hanging.”
“Are we anticipating another amendment seeing that the work the Committee did is very extensive?”he quizzed.
“We all know that in a presidential system, checks and balances must exist, but that is a system that has been very difficult for us to do for the past 30 years,” he added.
Ultimately, the future direction of Ghana’s constitutional reform will depend on the collective efforts of the government, civil society, and the citizens themselves to foster a more inclusive and accountable system of governance, free from the pitfalls of unchecked presidential powers and potential abuses.
source – myjoyonline
