Majority Leader calls for constitutional amendment of appointment of gov’t officials

The Majority Leader in Ghana’s Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has called for the amendment of the section of the Constitution that gives the President the sole authority to appoint government officials.

According to him, such practice denotes a monarchical form of governance that does not promote democracy.

Speaking at a public lecture organised by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) under the theme “Constitutional Review; the Perspective of a Legislator”, the Suame MP argues that such powers make the President less accountable.

“All appointments into the public service are at the instance of the President. That is captured in Article 195. All public servants exist at the instance of the President… Indeed, any President appoints more than 5,000 officers into public office. We are still counting. This certainly is a monarch created by the constitution. The rest of us citizens hold them in awe, and if and when he strays, it is difficult to talk straight to him.”

The Constitution Review Commission was set up in January 2010 to consult with the people of Ghana on the operation of the 1992 Constitution, and on any amendment that needed to be made to the Constitution.

The Commission was also tasked to present a draft bill for the amendment of the Constitution in the event that any changes were warranted.

However, the recommendations of the Commission have not been implemented years after the report was presented to the appropriate quarters.

Recently, the founder and leader of the National Democratic Party (NDP), Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, called for an amendment of the 1992 constitution to ensure proper checks and balances within government structures.

The former First Lady said the section of the constitution that allows the President to elect members of Parliament as Ministers, thus making them part of the executive arm of government is flawed.