Ghana's constitution useless - Lucy Anin

Madam Lucy Animwaa Anin, a former Member of Parliament for Bechem in Brong-Ahafo, under the administration of the Convention People's Party (CPP), has called for a constitutional review to repel the state divestiture law.

The former legislator says Ghana's constitution is a useless piece of document, creating more harm than good for the country. According to her, the constitution has failed to serve its purpose, therefore it should be reviewed.

She opined that Ghana’s constitution should be replaced, since the state is losing its asserts through the Divestiture of State Interest (Implementation) Act-1993 (PNDCL 326).

Speaking in an interview with Kwame Tutu on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, on what she makes of the revamping of the Komenda Sugar Factory by the current administration, Madam Lucy Anin said, this is much i do about nothing since Ghana has lost all its state asserts which she noted, is a tall list.

Divestiture of State Interest (Implementation) Act-1993 (PNDCL 326) states that ''There is hereby established a Divestiture Implementation Committee, which shall be the agency of the Government for the implementation of all Government policies in respect of divestiture programmes under this Act.

''The divestiture by the Republic of any of its interests in a statutory corporation or a corporate body incorporated under the Companies Act, 1963 (Act 179) or under the Incorporated Private Partnerships Act, 1962 (Act 152) shall be in accordance with the policy directives determined by the President.''

Madam Anin said that, the late Kwame Nkrumah set up factories, farms and other state industries under the Sate Enterprises including the refurbished Komenda Sugar Factory, but were all sold after the PNDC/NDC after the passed the Divestiture Law.

''The late Kwame Nkrumah set up State Enterprises in all the regions of Ghana but the PNDC/NDC passed the Divestiture Law to illegally sell our national asserts to their advantage.

They destroyed Nkrumah's vision and that is why we are where we are.'' Madam Lucy Anin further decried the retention of the Indemnity Clauses in our statutory books, because she believes is further deepening our woes. Section 34 of the transitional provisions, in the 1992 Ghana Constitution, indemnifies all coup makers and their functionaries against any liability for acts and omissions committed during their administration.

In her view, the clause must be abolished since it is dangerous for our country and affront to democracy in Ghana. ''Our constitution is useless. How can a constitution support coup? This is very dangerous for our country.

A constitution that recognises a coup as legal to me is useless.'' Ghana she stressed would have developed more than where we find ourselves if Nkrumah's development plan and policies were followed through. He charged President Mahama to repel the Divestiture Law from our constitution if he really want to follow the example of the late Kwame Nkrumah.

''If President Mahama believes in the ideologies of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, then he should lead the front for our constitution to be reviewed. We need to expunged the Indemnity Clause and and the Divestiture Act from our constitution. We cannot have these Acts in our constitution if we want to go forward.'' Mrs. Lucy Anin concluded that Ghana is marching backwards because we lost track of our vision and until, Ghana moves on the right path, we will continue to struggle.