It is embarrassing to pretend as if we’ve not conducted a review of our constitution before – Koku Anyidoho

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Atta Mills Institute and former Director of Communication at the Office of the President, Koku Anydoho, says it gets very disconcerting when you hear serious voices speak about the need to review the 1992 constitution.

He indicated that it is unfortunate that some of these people speak as if they are unaware of the existence of the work that had already been done under the late John Evans Atta Mills.

He noted that the late president set up a constitutional review commission, which was headed by Professor K. Fiajor and other prominent personalities, and work was done; the report was submitted, and state resources were used on this useful venture.

“A white paper was issued even before the death of the late Mills, yet nothing was done about it…and ”yet we sit in this country and talk about the need to take a second look at the Constitution. Meanwhile, work is already being done.”

He is therefore asking about the whereabouts of the white paper.

He also expressed shock at the claims by Speaker Alban Bagbin that he was unaware that work had already been done.

He was shocked that someone who was a key member of the Mills administration was pretending as if no work was done.

”It hurts. What are we doing to the republic? We are walking into a crucial election in 2024 about this issue, and the Atta Mills Institute is going to invoke the Right to Information Act and ask the right questions. Where is the White Paper? What happened to the White Paper after the death of Atta Mills? We will ask and get the answers before the 2024 elections. All the major political parties would have to speak to this issue of the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) because we all agree that something must be done about the 1992 Constitution.”

He stated that it makes no economic sense to grant funds for another review when work has already been completed, and a White Paper to that effect was released.

This is not the first time the Atta Mills Institute, a policy think tank, has urged for the execution of the white paper on the Constitution Review Commission (CRC), which was established during the administration of late President John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills.

In August 2021, the Institute led by Koku Anyidoho held a press conference at which he emphasised the importance of implementing the CRC.

The event themed, “Nine years of enhancing the legacy to build a better Ghana” was to bring into the public domain the legacies of the late president, who was the first sitting president of the Fourth Republic to have passed on.

Anyidoho said although some of the recommendations suggested limits on the powers of the President, the late Mills was willing to implement them.

He further argued that the recommendations provide solutions for the public discussion on the Article 71 holders’ emoluments, the President’s power of appointments and other recommendations of national interest.

“We are trying to point out to the country, the visionary thinking of the late President Mills. He foresaw that if nothing is done about the constitution, Ghanaians would start raising questions about our system of governance,” he said.

“The institute is a non-governmental and non-profit, policy brain box with a social democratic orientation, with a mindset of transformational approach to shaping and driving the discourse of nation-building,” Mr Anyidoho added.

Background

The late President Atta Mills in fulfillment of an electoral promise inaugurated the CRC on January 11, 2010.

He charged them with gathering information from Ghanaians about the operation of the 1992 Fourth Republican Constitution, including its strengths and flaws.

It was intended to express Ghanaians’ concerns about possible amendments to the 1992 constitution.

The Commission was to make recommendations to the government for consideration and provide a draft bill for possible amendments to the Constitution.

It had eminent persons comprising traditional leaders, professionals, clergy and academia and was chaired by Professor Albert Kodzo Fiadjoe.