Four-year presidential term should be revised – MP

Member of Parliament for Kwadaso Constituency, Dr. Samiu Kwadwo Nuamah is advocating for the revision of Ghana’s four-year presidential term by extending it to a few more years.

He believes extending the number of years would enable the government in power accomplish goals and promises that were made to the electorates.

According to him, the four-year term is not enough for every government to achieve effective developmental projects and it is also too short a term to fix the economy.

Dr. Nuamah explained that, “Because we have only a short-term, every government has only four years in office, just four years. You come into government; your first year is for you to put up your government together. By the time you finish announcing your ministers and MMDCEs and your chief executives, the first year is gone. You enter into the second year and now your ministers and MMDCEs, everyone will need to find his/her foot before they can operate, by the time you realise second year too is gone. And then we move into the third year and then campaign is about to start”.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting organised by SEND Ghana and Democratic Governance in West Africa (DEGOWA) on how to bridge inequality in Ghana, Dr. SK Nuamah said because of four-year governance system, it is difficult for governments to target long-term policies that would reap benefits later in the years to come.

“Basically as a country whatever that we are doing you get the short term policies because if you target the long-term policies, you might not live long to enjoy the benefits or your government might not live long to enjoy the outcome of those policies,” he said.

He further admonished NGOs and civic organisations to consider proposing this to parliament to amend the four-year presidential tenure by questioning whether the four-year term is helpful and stating reasons it should be extended.

In 2016, former President John Agyekum Kufuor also called for an extension of the tenure of presidents, saying the constraints of leading a developing nation like Ghana require more than four years to make any meaningful impact in terms of development.

The former President suggested a six-year tenure which he said, is more preferable.