CRC meets Ghanaians in Italy

Ghana’s Constitution Review Commission (C R C) has held two separate meetings with the community of Ghanaians in Italy.

The Commission has been set up as a Commission of Inquiry under Article 278 of Ghana’s Constitution and by the Constitution Review Commission of Inquiry, 2010 (C.I. 64) to: ascertain from the people of Ghana, their views on the operation of the 1992 Fourth Republican Constitution and, in particular, the strengths and weaknesses of the Constitution; to articulate the concerns of the people of Ghana as regards the amendments that may be required for a comprehensive review of the 1992 Constitution and make recommendations to the Government for consideration and provide a draft Bill for possible amendments to the 1992 Constitution.

The Commission has already travelled extensively collating views of the people across various 170 Districts and 10 Regions in Ghana and Ghanaians in the diaspora.

The first of its two meetings in Italy was in Rome and a day after, the two members of the Commission, Rev. Prof. Samuel K. Adjepong and Osabarimba Nana Akwesi Atta II who were in Italy to meet the community of Ghanaians made a 600-km journey up north to the city Vicenza to meet another group of Ghanaians. They were accompanied to Italy by Counsel and Researcher for the Commission, Clement Kojo Akapame, and three other officials. The meeting in Vicenza was of great interest as it was in Rome attracting Ghanaians living in other cities in the north of Italy.

Explaining the purpose of consultation with Ghanaians in the diaspora, Rev. Prof. Samuel K. Adjepong, indicated that the original project designed for the review exercise did not include consultations overseas but as a Commission, they took the view that their work would be incomplete without inputting the views of the significant number of Ghanaian population that live outside the shores of Ghana.

The President of the Council of Ghanaian Nationals Associations in Italy (COGNAI), Omari Somuah, in an opening remarks on behalf of the Council expressed appreciation to the Commission for including Italy in the list of the countries in the course of their duty. “We are pleased the Commission through its strategy of eliciting the views of Ghanaians on the operation of the 1992 Constitution has recognised the importance of views of Ghanaians abroad. We, the Ghanaian communities, in the north of Italy are very elated that this all important exercise at improving our Constitution and governance has been extended to include our views which will reflect in whatever changes that may result from the Commission’s work,” he mentioned.

The Ghana Ambassador to Italy, Her Excellency Anita Evelyn Stokes-Hayford, was at the session in Rome but another official engagement took her somewhere else on the day of the meeting in Vicenza.

Her address at the meeting was read on her behalf by Mr. Charles Baah (Minister and Head of the Consular Section of the Ghana Embassy in Rome) who was accompanied to the meeting by Mr. Simon Atieku – First Secretary on Trade and Investment at the Embassy. Ambassador Stokes-Hayford thanked the Commission for the opportunity given Ghanaian Communities abroad to discuss the operations of the 1992 Fourth Republic Constitution, particularly, its strengths and weaknesses and to make submissions for possible amendments.

She statement that having operated the 1992 Constitution for nearly 18 years, it is time to take a second look at it and a review will ensure that the basic laws that governs the lives of Ghanaians reflects the experiences, changing circumstances and changing aspirations of the people of Ghana, both home and abroad. “I have personally been impressed by the level of participation of the people of Ghana in this exercise. The assistance offered by the Ghana Embassy in Rome in preparation of the Commission coming to Italy for these consultations indicates we support the review exercise and are willing to assist in whichever ways necessary to effectively enable them execute their mandate,” she added.

Rev. Prof. Samuel K. Adjepong, who chaired the function and assisted by Osabarimba Nana Kwesi Atta II, informed participants the Commission since its work started has met Ghanaians in Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, Botswana and South Africa in addition to holding the same meetings in the US and a number of European countries. “Those places that we visited left us with a rich basket of well-structured submissions for our consideration,” he pointed out. He further went on saying since January 2010 when the Commission was inaugurated by His Excellency the President of Ghana, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, it has worked tirelessly to ensure that as many Ghanaians as possible are given the opportunity to make input to the process of reviewing Ghana’s Constitution. “This way the final output from the Commission would be reflective of the hopes and aspirations of all Ghanaians at home and abroad,” he said. The Commission, according to him, has so far received 85,000 submissions through the various strategies it has designed to interact with the people of Ghana and these strategies have afforded Ghanaians very clear and simple avenues to express their opinions on the operation of the Constitution and the response has been very impressive. Besides these broad-based consultations, he further added, the Commission has been conducting mini-consultations on the national level with interest groups such as: the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the National Council for Civic Education (NCCE), The National House of Chiefs, Governance think-tanks, Decentralisation and Local Government Expects, Gender and Human Rights Groups, People with Disabilities (PWD’s), Political Parties, the Media, the Council of State, the Youth, Children, among others. “The Commission believes that a key part of this review is its ownership by the people of Ghana both at home and abroad. The bottom line for us is that our recommendations must collectively enhance the unity and cohesion of our nation. We are committed to this goal and hope the process we are undertaking today will lead us closer to achieving these ends,” he told participants.

Before submissions were made, the Counsel and Researcher for the Commission, Clement Kojo Akapame, on screen took the participants through a 30-minute briefing of the Constitution explaining some of its major areas. He highlighted on the days of Ghana’s Constitution history, the coming into force of the 1992 Constitution, its dividends, challenges, what are the issues and what the CRC wants from Ghanaians.

He earlier told the participants all the submissions being made on the Commission’s visits, some not even related to the Constitution, are all put under different headings and entered into a data base for consideration in the Commission’s final report.

Submissions that were made included the indemnity clause for the President, the ex-gratia for the President, Vice President, Members of Parliament, Ministers of State which some contributors want it abolished with every Ghanaian treated on the laws of the country. The question of adhering to the rule of law irrespective of whoever is concerned was raised by some participants, issues on land matters concerning Ghanaians living abroad with dual citizenship, properties, education, health, equipping and increasing the Police Force for the safety of Ghanaians and collecting taxes effectively were also raised by some contributors. Some submissions also called for a separate Ministry and Minister to be responsible for matters on Ghanaians living abroad. It was further argued by others that District Executives must be chosen by the people and not the President and they must be answerable to the people. Others called for the Constitution to be amended to allow chiefs to take part in political affairs of the nation and for Ghanaians abroad to vote in Parliamentary and Presidential elections.

In his concluding statement, Rev. Prof. Samuel K. Adjepong thanked the participants for the interest shown in the exercise saying both meetings in Rome and Vicenza have been a huge success and that all the submissions made will be taken into consideration on the final report to be submitted to Parliament.

* Reggie Tagoe in Vicenza, Italy.