Security and Safety Expert, Adam Bonaa, has opined that the 1992 constitution of Ghana has outlived its functional usefulness.
According to Mr. Adam Bonaa, the constitution was purposely framed to address a possible constitutional overthrow by disgruntled military officials in the post military regime hence it vested seemingly limitless power in the hands of the head of the Executive Arm of Government.
He asserted that the constitution is no longer relevant since there is no tendency of military overthrow of the constitution.
Bemoaning the failure of successive governments to ensure a review of the constitution, Mr. Bonaa stated that the 2019 referendum which was aborted and the recommendations of the Constitutional Review Committee that are yet to be implemented afforded the state an opportunity of making changes to the Constitution which would have aided in the resolution of many problems including security challenges in the country.
“You realize that the 1992 constitution has unfortunately outlived its functional usefulness. The 1992 constitution was put together because we were coming from over a decade of a certain military rule and therefore, the fear was always there that there would be other disgruntled officers who would want to take advantage of the new democratic era we were going to find ourselves in and so the constitution was put together,” he said.
He added that “how many years on? We haven’t changed that much. We actually had the best of opportunities recently when the current president wanted to change it a bit so that we would begin to elect our MMDCES. The recommendations of the constitutional Review Committee is still gathering dust. Whatever work they did has not been implemented. It is lack of political will.”
In his view, the unrestrained power vested in the hands of the president is inimical to the progress of the country. He asserted that the myriad of security challenges that are unresolved in the country is as a result of the constitutional provisions which have given the president unrestricted power to control almost all state institutions including security agencies.
“So you still have largely the appointment of IGPs in the hands of the Executive. You have the president at any given point is like small God on Earth. He can appoint, he can do anything he wants to do and the law permits him to do that,” he said.
Mr. Bonaa who was speaking on the activities of parties’ militia despite the law banning same argued that it is seemingly impossible to enforce the law since the security agencies enforcing the law are uncontrolled by political appointees.
