President John Dramani Mahama has revealed that cabinet will on Thursday give approval to the amendment by the Constitutional Review Implementation Commission (CRIC).
“With the Constitutional Review Implementation Commission almost having finished its work; I know on Thursday, cabinet is going to give approval to the amendment…,” he said.
He made this known on Tuesday when he addressed the Eastern Regional House of chiefs in Koforidua on his support for decentralization.
According to the President, a decentralized system of government is the best way to optimal use state resources saying, “we must put the destiny of our people in their hands; we have achieved a measure of success in decentralization especially political decentralization by the creation of the district assembly.”
He noted that it is important to put the economic power in the hands of the assembly so they determine what they want to use their resources for.
President Mahama also revealed that the government is “going back to parliament to add the education and health sectors to the decentralization program’ adding that included in the amendment of the constitution are issues to do with decentralization.
He assured the chiefs at the durbar that he is an advocate for election of DCEs and “I think it is the way to go.”
The Constitution Review Implementation Committee (CRIC) has submitted a draft bill for the amendment of entrenched provisions in the 1992 Constitution to the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice.
The submission of the draft bill paves the way for work to start on the processes towards the conduct of a referendum to decide whether or not Ghanaians are in favour of the amendments.
From the Attorney-General, the bill is expected to be submitted to the Cabinet for discussion, after which it will be referred to Parliament and later to the Council of State.
By: Evans Effah/citifmonline.com/Ghana