Source: 3news
Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah, a former UN Senior Advisor, has stated that Ghana’s 1992 Constitution does not satisfy the needs of Ghanaians.
According to him, the constitution focuses democracy at the top rather than at the bottom.
His remarks follow President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-statement that the constitution should be modified if necessary to fit the needs of modern and future times.
On Thursday, April 28, President Akufo-Addo made this remark during his speech commemorating the 30th anniversary of the 1992 Constitution.
“The Constitution is a living document and so whenever circumstances require, we should be prepared to make the necessary amendments to affect the needs of contemporary and future times,” he said
President Akufo-Addo also stated that there are those who wish to end Ghana’s democracy by declaring coups.
He claimed that such individuals either do not respect the Ghanaian people or are afraid of being rejected in an election, prompting them to push for the overthrow of an elected administration.
President Akufo-Addo appealed to all Ghanaians to reject such individuals.
“Several attempts to take Ghana down the path of multiparty democracy was met with stiff opposition and cynical response.
“They will rather have authoritarian rule foisted on the citizens claiming Ghana was underdeveloped and we needed to get things done in a hurry.
“They claimed that democracy was cumbersome and will divide Ghanaians along along tribal lines . However, the word was widespread and unanimous to have a decade-long ban on party political activities imposed in 1981 lifted and the return to multiparty democracy established. The Ghanaian people wanted a living condition of freedom where there was respect for individual liberty,” he said.
He added “Simply because they have no respect for the Ghanaian people , they are either unwilling to subject themselves to the open scrutiny of the Ghanaian people or because they know that that they will be rejected by the Ghanaian people.
“Thus seeking a short cut to office in power. Let us resist such persons for our common good.”
Professor Agyemang-Duah said on the News 360 on TV3 Thursday April 28 that ” in my humble opinion, the Constitution does not meet the needs of the people.
“For a constitution to meet the basic needs of the people that constitution should be seen in action at the grassroots level. Democracy is best when it emerges from the bottom to the top . what we have today, is a democracy that is literally a top down democracy.”
