The Second Deputy speaker of parliament Mr. Alban Bagbin has stated that the constitution of Ghana has given too much powers to any sitting president.
According to the Nadowli West legislator this powers has made presidents to look like dictators since the inception of the 1992 constitution.
He proposes that there is an urgent need for constitutional reforms to scrap off some of the powers of the President if the country is indeed committed to practicing true democracy.
“Natural practice, we have elected dictators. That is what we have set up in the constitution. There is no difference between them and the military leaders”, he disclosed in an address to Students’ Parliament at the University of Education, Winneba- Kumasi campus, on the theme, ‘Parliamentary democracy in Ghana- a practitioner perspective.’
“The President appoints everybody, the President is the head of the party, the President is the head of government, the President decides the budget, the President can decide even though you have approved the money for an item they won’t release the money there and you can’t do anything. Is that democracy, no!” he stated.
The Nadowli-Kaleo lawmaker blamed the constitution for all these reiterating the need for something to be done in order to change the system.
“In the cause of this constitutional amendment or revision, we have to take away a number of the scales we have given to the president. Right up from the time of Jerry John Rawlings to date we have been electing dictators. The NPP campaigned on a lean government and promised to reduce the number of Ministers from 84 but upon assuming power, they elected 110 and we are all powerless”, he stated.
Source: ghanacrusader
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1992 CONSTITUTION WAS RAWLINGS CONSTITUTION AND RAWLINGS WAS A SOLDIER AND TO SOME EXTENT A DICTATOR. WE COULD NOT EXPECT ANYTHING DIFFERENT, BUT WE HAD TO APPROVE IT TO RETURN TO CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT. HE MANIPULATED THE CONSTITUTION TO EXTEND HIS MILITARY RULE UNDER THE GUISE OF DEMOCRACY. THE CORRUPTION IN GHANA STEM PRINCIPALLY FROM THE NATURE OF THAT CONSTITUTION. THE PRESIDENT WHEN COMES TO POWER APPOINT CEOS, BOARD CHAIRPERSONS, THE MILITARY AND POLICE COMMANDERS TO MANIPULATE THEM FOR HIS POLITICAL GAINS AND INTERESTS. MANY OF SUCH OFFICIALS BECOME CORRUPT BECAUSE THEY ARE MANIPULATED AND PROTECTED BY THE PRESIDENT WHO APPOINTED THEM. WHEN THE APPOINTED PRESIDENT LEAVES POWER THEY ARE NO MORE PROTECTED THEY ARE FOUND TO BE CORRUPT AND STOOOOGES. IF THEY WERE TO BE APPOINTED BY EFFECTIVE NON POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS, MANY OF SUCH OFFICIALS WITHOUT ANY FEAR OF TERMINATION OF APPOINTMENT BY POLITICIANS WILL WORK EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY FOR THE GOOD OF THE NATION AND NOT JUST FOR THE INTEREST OF A PARTY. IEA HAS ADVOCATED FOR THIS VIEW FOR A VERY LONG TIME. IT TRAVELLED ACROSS THE COUNTRY DURING THE CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW TO SOLICIT OPINIONS TO ADVANCE FOR SEPARATION OF POWERS DURING THE THE LAST NDC GOVERNMENT. I ONCE CHAIR A FORUM IN KUMASI BY IEA IN 2014 AND THE DEMAND FOR THE REVIEW OF THE CONSTITUTION TO ADDRESS THIS DEFECT WAS EMPHATICALLY COMMUNICATED. UNTIL WE PUT ROUND PEGS IN ROUND HOLES WE SHALL ALL LABOUR IN VAIN TO FIGHT CORRUPTION. 1992 CONSTITUTION HAS OUTGROWN ITS USEFULNESS
1992 CONSTITUTION WAS RAWLINGS CONSTITUTION AND RAWLINGS WAS A SOLDIER AND TO SOME EXTENT A DICTATOR. WE COULD NOT EXPECT ANYTHING DIFFERENT, BUT WE HAD TO APPROVE IT TO RETURN TO CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT. HE MANIPULATED THE CONSTITUTION TO EXTEND HIS MILITARY RULE UNDER THE GUISE OF DEMOCRACY. THE CORRUPTION IN GHANA STEM PRINCIPALLY FROM THE NATURE OF THAT CONSTITUTION. THE PRESIDENT WHEN COMES TO POWER APPOINT CEOS, BOARD CHAIRPERSONS, THE MILITARY AND POLICE COMMANDERS TO MANIPULATE THEM FOR HIS POLITICAL GAINS AND INTERESTS. MANY OF SUCH OFFICIALS BECOME CORRUPT BECAUSE THEY ARE MANIPULATED AND PROTECTED BY THE PRESIDENT WHO APPOINTED THEM. WHEN THE APPOINTED PRESIDENT LEAVES POWER THEY ARE NO MORE PROTECTED THEY ARE FOUND TO BE CORRUPT AND ***barred word***. IF THEY WERE TO BE APPOINTED BY EFFECTIVE NON POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS, MANY OF SUCH OFFICIALS WITHOUT ANY FEAR OF TERMINATION OF APPOINTMENT BY POLITICIANS WILL WORK EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY FOR THE GOOD OF THE NATION AND NOT JUST FOR THE INTEREST OF A PARTY. IEA HAS ADVOCATED FOR THIS VIEW FOR A VERY LONG TIME. IT TRAVELLED ACROSS THE COUNTRY DURING THE CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW TO SOLICIT OPINIONS TO ADVANCE FOR SEPARATION OF POWERS DURING THE THE LAST NDC GOVERNMENT. I ONCE CHAIR A FORUM IN KUMASI BY IEA IN 2014 AND THE DEMAND FOR THE REVIEW OF THE CONSTITUTION TO ADDRESS THIS DEFECT WAS EMPHATICALLY COMMUNICATED. UNTIL WE PUT ROUND PEGS IN ROUND HOLES WE SHALL ALL LABOUR IN VAIN TO FIGHT CORRUPTION.
DID YOU TELL MAHAMA WHEN HE WAS IN OFFICE FUUOOOL
CAN U SAY THAT WHEN RAWLINGS WAS THE PRESIDENT ? COME WAKE UP ALBAN
Mr Bagbin, you are the direct benefactor of this Presidential powers you are castigating today! You know full well that you NDC guys and girls specifically wrote this constitution for Rawlings and you benefited by becoming an MP, which still sustains you to date and now you even dream of becoming President! You never complained of the excessive Presidential powers when Rawlings, Mills and Mahama were in power! You Hippocrate, when will you learn common sense? In addition, you are asking for free Presidency! You can only talk like this in the NDC where there is virtually no competition to the flag bearer-ship! You socialist guys and girls have never been seriouus in life and in politics
This man will needs helps from his medical doctor,ever since he decided to contest the NDC presidential slot he has been saying strange things.In Ghana parliament this man has served longer than anybody and served key positions in the august both majority and minority leader,ministerial positions now that your party is not in power, you see the presidency has too much power.Please wait when your party time comes then we agree to reduce the power of the president.
Mr Bagbin didn't you see this in power or ndc get their eyes open only in opposition? then they have no business coming back whatsoever aaa aaa aaa! nkrofuo ben koraa ni ? I don't get their logic honestly!Ghanaians must be very very careful in electing who to take care of our country.