1992 Constitution needs tweaks, not overhaul — Prof. Prempeh
The Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh, has stated that the entire Constitution does not need to be rewritten but rather requires amendments to serve the interest of the people.
He said there were no restrictions to the opinions expressed by participants during pubic discussions on the matter.
Prof. Prempeh, however, insisted that the committee in charge of the review process would not encourage the proposal of solutions which would rather compound problems for the nation.
He said this when the Constitution Review Committee held a stakeholder engagement in Ho last Friday (July 11).
The meeting was attended by more than 200 people from all walks of life.
Among them were representatives of various professional bodies, transport operators, market leaders, entrepreneurs, people with disabilities (PWDs), traditional and religious leaders and personnel of the security agencies.
Open discussion
During the open discussions, some PWDs called for a review of the Constitution to make its position clearer on accessibility to public places and buildings for every citizen.
Other participants in the forum sought a stronger encouragement of functional literacy, and clearer rent conditions between tenants and landlords to avoid exploitation of tenants by landlords.
Other concerns raised for review in the Constitution ranged from clearly stipulated punitive measures for young people who came into conflict with the law, and the protection of the rights of consumers in all commercial transactions.
Prof. Prempeh described the stakeholder engagement in Ho as successful.
Collective sentiments
The Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, said the 1992 Constitution was a crystallisation of the collective sentiments of all Ghanaians and not just manifestation of the desires of a class of certain individuals, professional bodies or business groups.
“It has taken into account the entire rights and welfare of the people and the nation as a whole,” he insisted.
The regional minister said the committee’s commitment to soliciting the views of the entire citizenry was appropriate and very participatory in nature.
“The constitution is about protecting the people and so, its review requires the input of the people,” he added.
In that regard, he called for the translation of the constitution into various Ghanaian languages to make its contents readily available to all and sundry.
Mr Gunu said that would also make it resonate with societal dynamism with the desired impact to stand the test of time and protect the national image of the people.
