Chief Executive Officer of the Atta Mills Institute, Koku Anyidoho, has given his “100 per cent support” to the promise by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to review the 1992 Constitution to curtail the powers of the president.
He said the promise made by the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to review the Constitution if elected was a good one.
Dr. Bawumia says not only will he review the Constitution, but he will also support the amendment of the provision of ex-gratia for Article 71 officeholders, the rights of dual citizens, and the powers of the president, amongst others.
“I am committed to the process to amend the 1992 Constitution through extensive public consultation, with key emphasis on issues such as ex-gratia, the rights of dual citizens, election of MMDCEs to deepen decentralization, and empowering institutions while reducing the power of the President” he pledged.
“The current constitution was designed mainly for political stability and it has achieved that. We need to amend it with the help of Parliament to align it more for national development,” he said on February 7, 2024, when he outlined his policies.
Speaking on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm, Mr. Anyidoho said this was something he has championed for years and he would lose his credibility and integrity if he opposed this promise.
He said the fact that he was a member of the NDC does not mean he should oppose this policy.
He noted that the late Professor John Evans Atta Mills before assuming office promised Ghanaians he would review the Constitution to among other things reduce the powers of the president.
He explained that the late president took the steps, set up a commission and they conducted their work and a white paper was issued.
However, that white paper he lamented is gathering dust despite the recommendations in it.
In view of this, he has commended Dr. Bawumia for his promise but has underscored the need for him to revisit the white paper issued under the late Mills instead of setting up a new commission to start the process all over again.
That he said will amount to a waste of state resources.
He admitted that it has been several years since the white paper was issued, however, several recommendations in it align with what Dr. Bawumia has promised to do hence the need for him to consider it.
“I hereby declare that as the CEO and founder of Atta Mills Institute and as a citizen of Ghana; the Bawumia decision that if given the opportunity he will reform or review the constitution to curtail the powers of the president, I support it 100 per cent. The only thing I will tell him is that the white paper already exists.
So Mr. Vice President why don’t you take the white paper instead of going to set up a new commission altogether again? It would be a waste of state resources. I admit that it has been years since it was issued and several things may have changed. However, there are several recommendations in the white paper that could be used or considered. So for me, I support that policy.
Everyone knows that I have been championing the need for the white paper issued under the late Mills to be revisited. And so if a candidate has promised to review the Constitution and particularly to curtail the powers of the president and I don’t support it, won’t I lose my credibility and integrity?
This was something the late Mills promised Ghanaians and when he was elected president, he set the commission that worked on the review process. A white paper was issued. I will only ask Dr. Bawumia to revisit the white paper if he is elected the president.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana