Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), has requested that the recommendations in the Constitution Review Commission's report be implemented immediately.
Former President John Atta Mills' Commission, which was established in January 2010, proposed the elimination of the Council of State, among other things.
However, over a decade after the Commission's conclusions, that and other recommendations have yet to be adopted.
Mr Braimah accused former President John Mahama and President Akufo-Addo of failing to execute the findings in an interview with Newsfile, a circumstance that led to anomalies in the payment of ex-gratia to some public sector personnel and Council of State members.
He claimed that the Council should be abolished since it is no longer needed.
Its structure and composition render it "useless" and "necessary."
"Like Togbe [Afede XIV] mentioned, this is unquestionably a part-time job, but there are Council of State members who work full-time for the state and are given a salary by the taxpayer." Perhaps we should revisit the report of the Constitutional Review Committee, in my opinion. I'm not sure why President Mahama did not put that report into effect.
"I believe he was the best person to have put the recommendations of the Constitution Review Committee report into action because the report was presented in December 2011; President Mills died in July 2012, and this was a Vice President who served under President Mills when the Committee was formed."
"Given that presidents come and go," he said, Its structure and composition render it "useless" and "necessary."
"Like Togbe [Afede XIV] mentioned, this is unquestionably a part-time job, but there are Council of State members who work full-time for the state and are given a salary by the taxpayer." Perhaps we should revisit the report of the Constitutional Review Committee, in my opinion. I'm not sure why President Mahama did not put that report into effect.
It's understandable that President Akufo-Addo arrives and refuses to deal with the advice of his predecessors.
Review of the Constitution
On January 11, 2010, late President John Evans Atta Mills, acting in line with Article 278 (1) of the Constitution, which gives the President the right to create a Commission of Enquiry into concerns, appointed a Commission of Enquiry into circumstances.
The Constitution Review Commission was established in the public interest (CRC).
The Constitution Evaluate Commission of Enquiry Instrument 2010 mandated the CRC to review the 1992 Constitution (C.I. 64).
The CRC was entrusted with gathering Ghanaians' opinions on which portions of the 1992 Constitution needed to be changed.
The CRC traveled all throughout Ghana to host consultative forums with Ghanaians from all walks of life as part of its mandate.
As a result, it got a slew of memos detailing what portions of the Constitution needed to be changed, as well as how the CRC should operate.
It also retained the services of specialists to analyze the Constitution and provide revision proposals.
Report presentation
The CRC was active for two years. It finalized and delivered its report to the Government on December 20, 2011, after analyzing all of the submissions and getting expert views from both local and foreign consultants.
Following receipt of the report, and in accordance with Article 280 (3) of the Constitution, the government published a White Paper on June 15, 2012, outlining its position on the commission's recommendations.
Following the release of the White Paper, the government established the Constitution Review Implementation Committee (CRIC) on October 2, 2012, to conduct more research, engage citizens, and then execute the White Paper's proposals.
The Commission's recommendations have yet to be implemented ten years after they were first presented.
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