Let’s develop interest in 1992 Constitution amendment – Consultant

Mrs Estelle Appiah, a Legislative Drafting Consultant, on Monday, advised Ghanaians to develop interest in the amendment of certain provisions in the 1992 Constitution.

She explained that as the supreme law of the land and the cornerstone of Ghana’s democracy, it was imperative that Ghanaians knew entrenched provisions and recommendations which were made by the Constitution Review Commission (CRC).

Mrs Appiah, a Member of the five-member Constitution Review Implementation Commission (CRIC), gave the advice at a stakeholders briefing of proposed amendments to the 1992 Constitution at Abesim, near Sunyani.

It was jointly organized by the National Commission of Civic Education (NCCE), and the CRIC, and attended by representatives from civil society and Non-Governmental Organizations, the Ghana Bar Association, religious organizations, as well as Departments and Agencies.

Mrs. Appiah explained that in case of a referendum, it is the citizens who are going to participate, and it will not be proper if they are not brought on board in the review process.

She said the 1992 referendum which gave birth to the Constitution was highly participated in, because at that time the general public was actively involved in all the processes..

“Everyone must be fully engaged in the amendment processes," she said, and advised the participants to also contribute by passing on the knowledge they had acquired to others.

But Dr Gheysika Agambila, a member of the CRIC, said it was not possible to make inputs into the entrenched provisions submitted.

He explained that many Ghanaians were engaged in the review processes with the CRC receiving more than 83,000 written submissions.

With the non-entrenched bills, he explained that, they are yet to be put before Parliament, and that some basic inputs could be made into it at that level.