Change the constitution to control powers of the executive – Former NPP MP

A former Member of Parliament for Asante Akim North, Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi, has called for a review of the constitution, particularly with regard to the extent of power it grants to the executive branch of government.

Speaking on TV3 on Saturday, April 12, 2025, the former lawmaker criticised the 1992 constitution for what he views as the centralisation of authority and power in the hands of a single individual.

He emphasised that power should be more effectively distributed to ensure the smooth functioning of the country, arguing that this reflects true constitutionalism.

He further drew attention to the disparity in the country’s current constitutional framework, which grants executive powers exclusively to the elected president.

“The constitution is sick. Let us use the constitutional review process to address areas of concerns rather than trivial issues. The consolidation of power in one person’s hand is dangerous. Constitutionalism, I learnt in law school, educates us to distribute power effectively, but our constitution is in the opposite, trying to consolidate power in one person’s hand,” he said.

Appiah-Kubi, also a legal practitioner, highlighted the dangers of concentrating sole power in the executive branch, stressing that it can be exploited to serve the interests of the president and his inner circle, rather than being used responsibly for the benefit of the country.

He added that this concentration of power could result in the establishment of sectorial institutions, where the executive appoints members of its inner circle and those aligned with its interests to key positions across the country.

The legal luminary further cautioned that such actions could have severe and far-reaching consequences for the citizens.

“If that one individual in any bad day have challenges, then we are going to suffer from the challenges. Generally, I think the executive presidency is not African and must be looked at so that people in authority can be controlled in their use of power for the benefit of everyone, otherwise, when people struggle to become the executive, they will use it to satisfy their interests and whims, as well as interests of people around them. We are building a country and not building a sectional institutions or chiefdoms and kingdoms,” he appealed.

The former lawmaker shared this view while discussing the constitutionality of President John Dramani Mahama's suspension of post-retirement contracts.

MAG/AE

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