'Abolish the Council of State; it has outlived its usefulness' – Kofi Bentil

Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has called for the abolition of the Council of State, arguing that the institution has outlived its usefulness and continues to impose unnecessary costs on the state.

Speaking on TV3’s The KeyPoints on Saturday, September 12, 2026, Bentil repeatedly urged the government to scrap the Council of State, questioning its relevance within Ghana’s current governance structure.

“Abolish the Council of State. It has outlived its usefulness,” he said.

Bentil argued that a key test of any public institution is whether the country would notice a significant gap if the institution were removed.

In his view, the Council of State fails that test because the President already has several avenues for obtaining advice.

“The President has a Cabinet. He has ministers. He even has a political party on the side. He has different concentric circles of advisers. He doesn’t need a Council of State,” he stated.

Scrap Council of State – Bentil to Akufo-Addo

He further pointed to the constitutional provisions establishing the Council of State under Articles 89, 90 and 91, but noted that the advice provided by the body is not binding on the President.

“The fact of the matter over the 30-something years of our Constitution is that they don’t use their advice. They throw things to them and do it. This is a blunt fact,” Bentil said.

He also criticised the cost of maintaining the institution and questioned whether the benefits derived from it justify the expenditure.

“They are there for a cost without benefit,” he argued, maintaining that scrapping the Council of State would not create a significant gap in Ghana’s governance system.

Bentil acknowledged that the framers of the 1992 Constitution may have had reasons for establishing the Council of State, but argued that Ghana’s circumstances have changed and the institution should therefore be reconsidered.

MRA/MA

“I’m a Single Mother, I Sell Pure Water to Care for Him” – Woman Cries Over Son’s School Placement