Chairman of the Council of State Edward Doe-Adjaho has admonished members to offer credible advice and recommendations to President John Dramani Mahama.
He indicated that the President will have access to multiple sources of advice, hence the need for them to provide him with credible recommendations.
“Let us not overlook the fact that as president, he is better placed to evaluate our advice and recommendations. Our work and tenure intrinsically hinged onto that of H.E. the President. Indeed, we are a creation of the constitution and not, an institution unto itself,”
He also urged them to put aside their individual preferences and use the wealth of their collective views as council members to guide their deliberations.
According to the former Speaker of Parliament, the Council has no justification for providing information, statements, or disseminating the contents of its advice and recommendations to a third party.
He emphasised that it is for this reason that they hold their meetings in secret and have sworn an oath of confidentiality.
“We all bring something special to this unique council and do have the responsibility to preserve our image and integrity. Every team member must feel valued and appreciated for the unique qualities he or she brings to this council. We must therefore be transparent and collaborative in what we seek to do and appreciate the shades of opinion and the unique insights as well as the perspectives that may come up at the council’s deliberations on presidential referrals and in recommendations to His Excellency the president and institutions of governance.
“This gathering marks an important chapter in our journey as a council. Distinguished statesmen and women, the duty of giving advice and recommendation to the president has been known and long-standing as stipulated in the 1992 Constitution. Council is a government institution with duty on providing advice and recommendation to the president as referred to in Article 89 of the Constitution of the Republic.”
He added “As we proceed further with our orientation, it is expected that topics chosen for this program such as; The Mandate of the Council, Modus Operandi And Committees of the Council of State, The Council of State Secretariat, Work Program of the Council among others, will offer us more insights into the tasks ahead of us. I expect these sessions to be as interactive as possible and I encourage you to engage fully and make the most out of this initial opportunity.
“Valued Council members, it is important to abandon our individual inclinations and infuse the wealth of our collective views as council members to guide our deliberations. The Council is not justified in providing information, statements, and / or disseminate the contents of its advice and recommendation to a third-party. That is the underlying essence of our meetings in camera and oaths of secrecy. Where our engagements are to be in public, there is a burden of cautionary discretion we ought to exercise. May I kindly request that we respect these noble requirements and balance them with the needs of state.
“Colleagues, our advice and recommendations must be credible as the President has access to multiple sources of those. Let us not overlook the fact that as president, he is better placed to evaluate our advice and recommendations. Our work and tenure intrinsically hinged onto that of H.E. the President. Indeed, we are a creation of the constitution and not, an institution unto itself.”
By: rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
