Commander-in-Chief of the Economic Fighters League, Ernesto Yeboah, has stated that theoretically, the proposed expansion of the presidential term from four to five years is not a problem.
However, history has shown that governments that stay longer in office inevitably become complacent and dictatorial.
He posited that even under the current four-year term structure, administration after administration that enjoyed two terms in office grew ruthless, careless, and abusive during their second term.
The youth leader noted that the longer a government remains in power, the more inclined it becomes to arrest, intimidate, and harass its critics.
He cited the case of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, stating that whilst his first term was somewhat acceptable, his second term proved terrible.
He highlighted that citizens witnessed the arrest of individuals whose only offense was demanding accountability from authorities.
Speaking on As It Is In Ghana on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM Ghana and 92.4FM UK, Ernesto Yeboah stressed that a similar pattern unfolded under former President John Dramani Mahama, which ultimately contributed to his defeat in the 2016 general election.
“Theoretically, extending the presidential term from four years to five is not a problem, but practically, it is challenging. If you examine our history, you will discover that the longer a government stays in office, the more dictatorial it becomes. You will recollect the first term of President John Dramani Mahama and his ‘dead goat’ syndrome, but comparing it to his second term, he changed. We witnessed the same under Akufo-Addo. His first term was okay, but the second term was terrible. People who demanded accountability and asked the government to deal with galamsey were arrested, intimidated, and harassed.”
Ernesto Yeboah asserted that this track record demonstrates how prolonged tenure encourages state misbehaviour.
He noted that citizens can only hope for the best and pray that if such a policy is adopted, it works to the nation’s advantage.
However, he cautioned that if Ghana ends up with a wicked, insensitive, and incompetent leader under a five-year tenure, the public will severely regret it.
He concluded that the horrible experiences encountered under the Akufo-Addo administration ought to serve as a guide in shaping public opinion when weighing the five-year term proposal.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana