Many constitutional experts and lay observers of Ghana’s 1992 constitution have argued that it unjustifiably sets up the winner of any general election as the sole distributor of ‘political and economic spoils’. It gets worse with a majoritarian parliament aligned to the winner president. From economic decision making, laying of bills in parliament to appointing powers, the President has a carte blanche. He for instance, appoints all his ministers, chief directors, agency heads, metropolitan and district chief executives and by inference all messengers and frontline staff of the national disaster management organisation “NADMO” in all the constituencies that make up Ghana. Simply put, he is “Captain Planet”.
Others are skeptical and actually suggest we do no harm to the constitution by reordering its configurations, intentions and spirits. It is not drunk and clothed with naked power that cannot be sober, they say. They point to the preamble of the constitution and show it to our faces “IN EXERCISE of our natural and inalienable right to establish a framework of government which shall secure for ourselves and posterity the blessing of liberty, equality of opportunity and prosperity;…”
[contextly_sidebar id=”X4ph1yN1HFP87UFy9dagYgiLTv94u0r3″]They even conclude that the directive principles of state policy in “ (5) The State shall actively promote the integration of the peoples of Ghana and prohibit discrimination and prejudice on the grounds of place of origin, circumstances of birth, ethnic origin, gender or religion, creed or other beliefs.” Signify and does demand that the winner shall not take it all. And they finally dare all nay Sayers to go to court to seek interpretation of the constitutional provisions that confound them and where appropriate demand a ruling to order the ‘winner’ to do just as constitutionally and humanly possible.
However, we will not settle this contentious matter in Court. We shall delight our nervous system, with scholarly exposition and hope that we reach a consensus.
Source: Franklin Cudjoe/citifmonline.com/Ghana