No. 4 Melon Street • North Legon • G. P. O. 8760 • ernestoyeboah@yahoo.com • 0244610732
The President at 18 Campaign commends the syndicate cell for Human Rights of the Constitutional Review Commission for seeing the wisdom in our proposal that the voting age of 18 remain the basis for contesting any public office in Ghana including the presidency.
In our petition to the Constitutional Review Commission in September last year, we prayed the commission to review ARTICLE 62 (b) and all sections of the 1992 constitution that prescribes ages other than eighteen as prerequisite for candidacy into a public office.
It is important to state that ever since we begun with our campaign many are those who met us with prejudice or misconstrued our position to mean an automatic imposition of 18 year olds to run the affairs of the country without the consent of Ghanaians at the polls. It is especially for this open mindedness and understanding as exemplified by the syndicate cell for Human Rights that we the members of this campaign are grateful for.
Whilst our proposal awaits the final approval of the commission before the referendum, we maintain that if the 18 year old is considered an adult and is thus believed to make a rightful or reasonable choice in who become his leader, then extending to him that same turn of being voted for is only but a right well deserved.
We are also convinced beyond measure by the consistency with which Ghanaian voters have acquitted themselves always in arriving at reasonable choices. Thus, there is absolutely no basis fearing the verdict that the people might reach.
Finally, amongst others, a constitution must serve to inspire, challenge imaginations and equip the people in every way with a sense of responsibility that makes them leaders right from the onset. We believe that the triumphant entry of our proposal into our constitution would serve this just purpose.
Once again we commend the efforts of the syndicate cell of the Human Rights cell in the Constitutional Review Commission.
Ernesto Yeboah
Lead Advocate
0244610732
Fred Smith
Convener
0266230677
Edwin Appiah
National Organiser
0266731420
