Don't think of a second term without constitutional review - Prof. Gyampo to NPP

Prof. Ransford Yaw Gyampo, a political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, says the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) should not think of a second term without saying anything about the “constitutional review” process.

According to him, almost four years into the Akufo-Addo administration, nothing concrete has been heard about the constitutional review process which was started under the erstwhile Prof. Atta-Mills administration.

Gyampo, who wrote the comments on his Facebook timeline, stated that the 1992 constitution which is the fundamental document for our governance has some provisions that undermine constitutionalism.

“[The constitution] sets the tone for every governmental socio-economic and political action,” Gyampoh wrote.

"On Political Governance, I heard [during the launching of the NPP manifesto on Saturday] what is being done to deal with corruption and some chieftaincy issues. But a strong constitution will better deal with corruption and tackle chieftaincy challenges.”

Prof. Gyampo then predicted: “Someone may one day be charged for causing financial loss to the State, for this politically unholy silence, and the near jettisoning of the process. Let the powers that be, be mindful of this and act now, or brace themselves to account for the waste of the taxpayers’ resources, some years to come.”

Read Prof Yaw Gyampo’s full statement below.

A Brief Response to the launch of the 2020 NPP Manifesto, Purely from Governance Perspective

One of the canons of good governance is accountability. Telling Ghanaians what has been achieved for the almost four years of steering the affairs of the State, is commendable.

Good governance is simply explained in terms of the effective and efficient management of scarce resources of any polity, such that it translates into tangible developmental outcomes, reflected in the lives of the people.

Per the definition above, it is not the NPP that must convince that it has done well. It is also not the NDC that must deny that nothing has been done. It is the ordinary people who must examine themselves, to see whether the developmental outcomes being touted are tangibly reflecting in their lives. If so, so be it. If not so, let them say so.

Now, a fundamental document for governance of any country is the Constitution. It provides the basis for EVERYTHING! It sets the tone for every governmental social-economic and political action. On Political Governance, I heard what is being done to deal with corruption and some chieftaincy issues. But a strong constitution will better deal with corruption and tackle chieftaincy challenges.

Given that our constitution itself contain several provisions that undermine constitutionalism, huge sums of money was spent in putting together a Constitutional Review Commission (with membership from across the political divide and also experts) that undertook a nation-wide extensive research and Public Consultations aimed at reviewing the 1992 Constitution and dealing with its aspects that hinders the maturation of our democratization process. Anyone who has studiously read the Constitutional Review Commission’s report, will attest to the fact that the issues on Political Governance raised at the launch, can easily be solved by some of the countervailing provisions suggested in the report.

It is a great disservice to governance to think about another term, without a word on the state of our Constitutional Review process, after near four years of palpable governmental silence on the matter.

I can predict with a degree of certainty that, someone may one day be charged for causing financial loss to the State, for this politically unholy silence, and the near jettisoning of the process. Let the powers that be, be mindful of this and act now, or brace themselves to account for the waste of the taxpayers’ resources, some years to come.

Hearty Congratulations to the NPP for the colorful and impressive launch of their manifesto.

Yaw Gyampo