Constitutional Review Commission Rounds Up Exercise

After collating all manner of views and submissions from a wide range of Ghanaians in the ten regions of the country, the Constitutional Review Commission is set to tally all submissions in the light of international best practices.

President John Evans Atta Mills inaugurated the nine-member Constitutional Review Commission, some few months ago, to review the current 1992 Ghana Constitution with a call on them to be impartial in their deliberations. It is under the chairmanship of Professor Albert Fiadjoe, an Emeritus Professor of Law at the University of West Indies.

Papa Kow Acquaye, the Media and Events Manager for the Commission, expatiated on some of the over 60,000 submissions collated across the country, in an interview with Emefa Apawu, host of the Big Bite on Xfm 95.1, a privately owned commercial radio station in Accra.

Papa Kow told the host, the Commission has received a wide range of submissions ranging from a review of the powers of the Executive President, process of tabling and passing of private members bill in Parliament, decoupling the position of Attorney General and Minister of Justice, election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives and a change of the date for conducting Presidential and Parliamentary Elections in the country.

He said the Commission would now move to conduct special consultation and the Diaspora consultation, which would collate submissions from special Excellencies and the over 7.5 million Ghanaians who live abroad respectively.

Talking on specific submissions, Papa Kow said the Commission has received submissions from children and some children groups who are calling for greater inclusiveness in decision making processes, especially, in ones that concern them as children. He said the reason being that “because we as adults have been children before and so assume that we know what is best for them at all times”.

Other submissions also requested for a clarification on the definition for who a child is in Ghana. “The children’s Act says one who is 16 years and below is a child, but the 1992 Constitution pegs the age at 18 and below, so they want some more legal clarity on who a child is”, Papa Kow said.

“They also want some representation in places like parliament and the Council of State, to articulate the concerns of children”, Mr Acquaye added.

He said the children also are advocating for the setting up of an annual summit for children to give their views on happenings around the country.

Aside these, Papa Kow Acquaye said the commission has also received some submissions calling for a greater enforcement of the Disability Act, and what he describes as very funny submissions. “One said he wanted the number of ministers reduced to 24. When he was asked why, he said in the book of Revelations, there are 24 elders helping God to rule”.

Papa Kow Acquaye said the Commission would sift through all the submissions and present a draft bill to the President.

Establishment of the Commission is in redemption of a pledge by President Mills in his first sessional address to Parliament last year, that government would initiate a process for constitutional review to reflect the current demands of governance.

President Mills observed that the almost 20-year-old Constitution needed a review, which would reflect views of the people to meet the aspirations and expectations of Ghanaians for efficient democratic governance.

The 1992 Constitution is Ghana's fifth constitution since independence after those of 1957, 1960, 1969 and 1979.

Story by Abena Asiedua Tenkorang, Xfm 95.1 Accra, Ghana